Concern for out future (From Gazette Series)

Concern for out future

For 35 years Dursley has been lucky enough to have DREENA MELELAWS as a staunch supporter of the town and a stern critic of anyone in authority who does not have its best interests at heart. Originally housekeeper/hostess at The Towers guesthouse, where the Lister family entertained their overseas customers, Dreena retired in 1984 and has devoted much of her retirement to seeing that Dursley has been uppermost in the minds of those who make a difference in Gloucestershire. Now 83, she has decided to take a back seat in the development of Dursley but before hanging up her hat for good she has put together her final thoughts on the plans for the Lister-Petter site and other areas of the town for others to ponder.

A MEETING was held on Saturday, October 22 in Dursley Town Hall to commemorate the advent of Michael Pedersen to Dursley in 1890. Relatives from Denmark attended and later wreathes were laid at Pedersen's grave in Dursley cemetery.

He influenced the fortunes of R A Lister through his design for a cream separator. Listers went on to employ 4,000 people. A Lister generator set was responsible for the searchlights over London in the 1914-1918 War and for the engines of the small boats which held back the German invasion in the 1939-1945 War.

The meeting brought into stark contrast the state of Dursley today with about 200 jobs left on this world famous site. In-fills in Dursley seem to average about 120 annually. Along with plans for 600 houses on the Lister site and 145 houses on the adjoining Bymacks site this could see 1,500 children making for the school at Highfields and joining all the traffic on the Uley road. Everyone thinks that the traffic situation in Dursley is chronic now but it is nothing compared to the things that are likely to happen.

Driving through Dursley is a nightmare, competing with heavy lorries which should not be on the A4135. People who require to commute out of Dursley need to leave at about 7am and return 12 hours later - sometimes four people per household, when the children leave school and commute out of Dursley for work (not everyone will want construction work or to serve in a supermarket). Close neighbours travel as far as Bath/Gloucester and even Cardiff, whilst all the time the cost of petrol is increasing. It is now reported that the Rednock School is in seriously bad repair.

Car parking is hopelessly inadequate even at 11am. The fire station site should be an extended car park. Supermarkets are in excess. Doctors, dentists, police, fire and ambulance services would all be under strain. There would be no attractions for tourists.

As it is there are no views throughout Gloucestershire because of the height of hedges and trees. Many of the trees are very dangerous because of their height and overhanging branches both at roadsides and overhead.

Councils are short of money while they carry out Mr Prescott's plans for "regionalisation" hence the reported rise in council tax - as much as 10 percent.

The local plan and structure plan which went before an inspector at huge cost have been scrapped and replaced with the Regional Spatial Strategy with all its hidden off shoots such as Vale Vision, The Countryside Agency, English Heritage (hence the Dursley Library), Business Link, Housing Corporation, Lottery Fund, Government Office for the South West, South West Tourism, South West Regional Assembly, Gloucestershire First - this list is not complete! The Town and District Councils come under the O D P M - Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, namely John Prescott - NOT Gordon Brown - should Tony Blair suffer any mishap!! Any of the schemes put forward by these organisations require to be 'matched' by the Council Tax, hence the predicted rise.

Tiling round the town is an example. How many visitors will be attracted to look at that? The money would be better spent to check on the pavement down Silver Street which is highly dangerous, sloping as it does towards the road. Properties below the church steps should be knocked down as they were above the steps about 30 years ago to widen the road and expose the old buildings at the back.

House building and supermarkets bring money into John Prescott's coffers, hence the proliferation of both across the country. Climate change has become a world-wide problem, Prince Charles has warned of its effect on this country and has been stressing the consequences abroad. Sir David King, the UK Government's Chief Scientific Adviser has said climate change is a far greater threat to the world than international terrorism and without immediate action, flooding, drought, hunger and debilitating diseases such as malaria would hit millions of people around the world.

In Britain the numbers of people at high risk of flooding was expected to be more than double - to nearly 3.5 million by 2080 and damage to properties to run into tens of billions of pounds a year.

Dursley is recognised as a high risk area as pointed out in the Dursley Appraisal and by Mr Prosser, the old school teacher, because of the surrounding Jurassic rock. The rain comes under the ground rather than over the top; that is why the car park and fire station have pools of water.

When the car park was a farm the water trough filled up from below the junction, between turning left for the swimming pool and the long stay car park. Lister's had its own fire engine for pumping water off the site.

Peter Bailey reported that rain fell consistently throughout 2004, with a total of42.27 inches.

Jonathon Porritt is a member of the Regional Development Agency and adviser to Prince Charles on environmental issues. I feel it is time he decided which cap he is wearing as far as Dursley is concerned.

The other scourge to hit mankind is obesity. In April 2004 it was reported in the Daily Telegraph by Cancer Research UK that a third of all cancers will be linked to excess fat by the middle of next decade unless the obesity epidemic can be halted.

The Lister site can deal with both problems facing mankind. The original "vision" is the answer: promoting tourism with an ice rink. The rink should have a well-run hostel for hikers on the site to accommodate those coming off the Cotswold Way.

The recently proposed Olympics created a tremendous interest in curling. It is now recognised as a top form of hospitality. Three lanes for curling should be provided within the ice rink, along with two artificial slopes for skiing and snow surfing at Robinswood near Gloucester. The area has the potential to become a training ground for winter sports.

Apart from the remains of the Lister factory the site should be a leisure park situated as it is between Cam and Dursley and attracting tourism. It should cater for all age groups and include indoor bowling, a BMX track, indoor skateboarding and a ten pin bowling alley. \ Apart from landscaping and hopefully identifying who is responsible for the upkeep - such as cutting trees/grass etc, some land should be kept for car parking along with bicycle racks with the appropriate safety measures attached. Public toilets are essential.

A separate area should be kept for those who work in the park. Various foot and cycle ways could be established from both Cam and Dursley. Because the Lister site has been polluted and because of the topography causing air inversion, the present plan for 600 houses on the site should not even be considered. It is not a play area for children.

The good news is that St Modwen Properties PLC owns the Solihull ice rink and it has undergone a major development programme. It is on a much larger scale than is required for Dursley! The Ice Pad has seating for approx 1,000, the skate shop is open from 9am-9pm and there is an arcade, a cafeteria, a bar and a function suite for wedding and engagement parties.

Malcolm Bell, chief executive of South West Tourism, has given me written and verbal support for my suggestions.

My question is: when is some elected representative of a local or national body going to take up the mantle of doing something about this roller coasting effect in which a community loses its identity forever? Surely housing cannot be distinctive as far as Dursley is concerned. Dursley deserves a Lister-Pedersen Heritage leisure Park to extend its past prosperity into the future.