O/T The Only Way is Essex, why Barnsley should be more like Brentwood

Whilst I agree with you, I feel its too late for Barnsley town centre. HMV's impending closure will inevitably mean another empty retail unit that is likely to remain empty unless taken on by someone selling tacky Christmas decorations decides to take it on in October time. The new market was initially due to be finished in 2012, we're a year past that now and it seems the plans have been put on the back burner.

On Top Gear a few weeks ago, Jeremy Clarkson made a valid point, the ridiculous parking charges in town centres now have forced people to go to these out of town outlets. Barnsley isn't too bad, but I often shop in Leeds as my girlfriend lives there and if I want to park for any longer than 2 hours, im being charged in excess of a fiver.

I also blame people who drop their foreign coins in their change hoping nobody notices. I went to town last week and went to park behind the Alhambra, where its 60p for an hour. Seen as though it was a necessary yet short trip, I thought this was reasonable, yet to my horror, id only got 55p. I rummaged around the car to find another 5p, stood their in the pouring rain inserting all these 5p's unto the parking metre, only to fond that the last one was an American dime, I've never been to America so someone has sprung it on me in my change. So I parked near the football club and walked into town in the rain, had I only been doing some shopping I'd have either gone somewhere where I could park for free or gone home. Foreign coins, the cause of all lifes problems.

 

I'd distill that down further to just "foreigners, the cause of all lifes problems."

 

That's my favourite post ever Archey, the decline of the high street blamed on foreign coins in the space of three paragraphs

 

Right of centre dosent mean there isnt a major role for the council

A problem of Barnsleys is that many of the past councillors have been NUM officials who havent a clue of how to run a business never mind a town

We need more business people of the like of Pat Cryne to run Barnsley Council

 

Except running a town is nothing like running a business. The vast majority of services are statutory and loss making which a business would simply choose to cut, which a council can not. Not to mention the vast range of services that they have to provide, often competing and conflicting. All under huge cuts in funding from central government.Added to which councillors are largely guided by officers who are very experienced in running local authorities and services. That's not to say they don't set the broad agenda but they aren't running the town.