Gazette Comment (From Gazette Series)

Gazette Comment

WE report this week that a group that occupies the time of around 60 young people in Dursley may have to fold because it cannot find land on which to build a new headquarters.

The town's Air Training Corps and Army Cadets have been actively looking for a new site for some months. But despite major regeneration plans for Cam and Dursley their search has proved fruitless.

With grand designs for the 92-acre former Lister Petter site and the development of around 100 homes and employment facilities on the former Bymacks site, it is surely possible to find a small space for this important community facility.

Although the groups have been awarded a "significant sum" for the funding of this building, they cannot afford to pay a premium for expensive business land.

This may be a sign of things to come in the town. As we eagerly await the arrival of Tesco, so the youth club will also be looking to relocate.

With the lack of availability of affordable land in the town it may be that this too could be find itself being confined to the history books.

People are saying it seems strange that, with regeneration top of the agenda, important things are still being allowed to struggle on unassisted.