Silence-on-Trent

Having just clicked on the ‘What’s On’ section on The Sentinel website I was somewhat dismayed to find the section completely devoid of information. Is there really nothing taking place in and around Staffordshire worth mentioning or promoting? Well the answer is a resounding YES, it seems. This is certainly true for February 11th anyway. How disappointing. The city has a vibrant and impressive wealth of musical talent as well as a colourful art scene and yet the support from local venues for gigs and events seems to be missing.

Last night whilst at work at Soniq Studios - City Youth Centre, a gentleman called in to inform us he was looking for young local rock bands to come and perform at an event he was organising. How refreshing it was, knowing that there are people in and around this city aware of the up and coming talent residing in this city and to actually take the time out to come and show an interest and help support and nurture this emerging talent was so reassuring.

Unfortunately, as a city we are notoriously left trailing around 20 years behind the rest of the country in terms of economic development and expansion, in recent years though, thanks to clubs such as the Sugarmill and the Underground, local music has seen interest in the city swell. We should be encouraging this further and ensuring the rest of the country take note of just how darn brilliant we can be. We need to pull ourselves out of this recession depression and throw ourselves into projecting our creative diversity. Not only helping local talent but also helping ourselves. Come on, Stoke!

Bus Off.

Another exemplary article published in The Sentinel today regarding the preposterous decisions made by local councils. Why would you design a building specifically intended to act as a comfortable bus shelter for members of the local community waiting to use and on the whole pay for public transport but locate said building metres away from the bus stop? This sort of inanity is something I would usually readily associate with Stoke-on-Trent City Council not the Staffordshire Moorlands...

 

Bus passengers are turning their backs on a brand new heated waiting room – because it's been built too far away from where the buses stop.

The ‘bus hub’ which cost around £15 million to construct was built as part of the Sainsbury’s superstore development in the centre of Biddulph. However, bus passengers are reluctant to use it as they say they miss their buses if they take shelter in the err shelter. Given that it was erected 50 metres from the bus stop, it’s taking elderly passengers around 25 minutes to stand up, gather their belongings and walk to the bus, by which time it’s already pulled out of the depot.

Now Biddulph Town Council is writing to bus companies who use the stop, including First and Bakers, to ask their drivers to give people a little longer to get on the buses.

The issue was addressed at last night's town council meeting, following complaints from residents.

Town Mayor Rodger Deane, said: "The problem is people are walking out of the hub to the bus stop but by the time they get there, the bus has pulled off.

"I think we need to send a letter to the bus companies who use the stop asking them to be aware of the situation and for them to give adequate time to get to the bus.

"All they have to do is look in their left mirror and they will see a line of people walking towards the bus.

"The actual hub itself has been designed poorly and you can't actually see the buses coming down the road if you sit in it."

A spokesman for Sainsbury's said the company had carried out a full consultation with the public and relevant authorities regarding the positioning of the hub and had received positive feedback on the designs.

He said: "The bus hub has been built in full accordance with the planning permission, providing both an indoor and outdoor waiting area and public toilets. The High Street was not considered an appropriate setting for the bus hub as there is not enough room for it."

 

I have a feeling that if the bus stop was moved 50 metres closer towards the bus shelter we’d all be really happy again. It’s that kind of thinking that could see me voted Lady Mayoress of Stoke-on-Trent.