March On Stoke this Saturday - Live on Twitter

Mike Wolfe recently claimed those angry at Council borrowing £55million for a New Civic Cntre had no positive alternative, 2 comments that support the move to Hanley to try and kick start a Business District, then go on to discuss the potential for Stoke.

This is not unusal every one I have spoken with says Stoke upon Trent is the ideal local for a business district with its excellent transport connections. I've mapped the development sites in stoke https://maps.google.co.uk/maps/ms?msid=201846045521649927944.0004d62a25e... and the Civic Centre is but a fraction of what is on Offer

Its not just residents either, but the Investors themselves. Genr8 have been marketing CBD for 3 years and had ZERO interest, the council markets Stoke for just 2 months and claims to have 29 interested companies. So why try and force a CBD in Hanley when its natural home is Stoke

The 2 highly paid Consultants reports also promote Stoke for this purpose

The £160,000 URBED masterplan http://tinyurl.com/abk8wy9 Says

"Why not adopt a continental model that sees a large city centre with a series of quarters, and indeed a wider conurbation made up of a network of urban villages?"

"The vision for Stoke Town is therefore as a city centre quarter including the University, College, Station and administrative hub. The Town Centre and the former Spode Works site will thus become the heart of this quarter and a focus for its activity"

If you even look at the City Council page which attempts to promote the Move to Hanley you'll see how they also acknowledge the linkage the the university boulevard will create

http://tinyurl.com/alygmmv

Then of course the infamous "King Sturge" report that recommends keeping the Civic Centre in Stoke, which Councillors seem unwilling to be questioned on.

So no the alternative is not a nostalgic, backwards looking proposal. It is one based on common sense backed up by the reports to our elected Councillors by highly paid supposedly expert consultants

Go have a look at the 3 options from URBED on the last page of their report http://tinyurl.com/act6c6g

Then come argue that the Council needs to spend £55million to kickstart regenerations. It clearly doesnt it just need to accept part of that regenertation for Convention centre and offices will be in Stoke not Hanley

Let Hanley remain and prosper as the Retail centre, the mayor £350million scheme by Realis will kick start the Retail explosion.

Let the Private sector do what they do best and let the Public sector manage its services to the public

Well it's crunch time - how many residents who have said they will march and rally will actually turn up?  I hope everybody who can go will go and show their solidarity with other residents who oppose the wastage of large sums of money by our council.