Church Square 'improvements'.

[Inspector Knacker]

Apparently the existing trees are to be removed and replaced with smaller trees.
The existing trees will be the trees installed on the original remodelling and be maturing, are these people for real. Is there some need to airbrush the past and those who actually did improve it, to remodel it as the work of our very own Capability Brown. Change carpets , change trees, change everything.
I believe the average person will be hard put to notice any difference apart from a few gimmicks.
(They do realise small trees tend to get vandalised)

[mk1]

Apparently the existing trees are to be removed and replaced with smaller trees.

The War Memorial has had its trees ripped out twice since 1970. Those there today are the third set.
The trees between the Civic and Victoria Road were ripped out in the mid 90s and the current one planted. Its a Councillor 'thing'.

[Johnny Bongo]

Apparently, they (HBC) are planting various species of fruit trees along Church Street, so that the public can get their 5 a day....that's 5 pints of lager plus an apple to throw at someone!
Hopefully, someone will have a few pics of how Church Street looks now...and compare those pics with whatever it ends up looking like!  Bet there isn't much, if any difference.  Then, if possible, the 'before and now' pics can be sent to the Gov Dept or wherever the money came from, stating that the Hartlepool public seem to think that this scheme was a complete con...which it surely will be!  Remember...where there's a scheme...there's a schemer!       

[steveL]

Go back to City Challenge and you'll find the original plan to remodel Stockton Street in a 'Maritime Theme' - hence the high metal poles which are meant to represent a  ship's  masts and the round metalwork within the railings meant to represent portholes. Now it looks like they are about to be ripped up to give the street - guess what - 'a maritime theme'.

Deja Vu doesn't cover it.

Same in Church Street where it's definitely Groundhog Day but with a humorous slant. Heritage money will be spent up front to recover the external walls of Shades with the hilarious intention of recovering the money afterwards from the Wilkies. All we need to hear now is of a similar scheme for the Hillcarter with plans to recover the money afterwards from Morton.

[testing times]

Has anyone noticed how often the term 'event space' appears in these various schemes. We can now look forward to a time when Hartlepool is hosting at least half a dozen simultaneous Christmas markets.

[stokoe]

Oh no does that mean we ain't got some famous name to switch the xmas lights on?

[kevplumb]

Same in Church Street where it's definitely Groundhog Day but with a humorous slant. Heritage money will be spent up front to recover the external walls of Shades with the hilarious intention of recovering the money afterwards from the Wilkies. All we need to hear now is of a similar scheme for the Hillcarter with plans to recover the money afterwards from Morton.

there's a rabbit off there
it's iffy to say the least 

[fred c]

I passed through Church Street this morning... see pics.... the first thing that struck me was the paving full of weeds and grass an wooden box about 8'x4' full of weeds.

Then the mature trees.... sinful to remove them.... over the crossing to the 'Transport Interchange young trees can be seen leaning at an angle.

Then the paved area....... it would make a world of difference if the council hired high-pressure water jetting kit and spent a week or two cleaning them and replacing the odd damaged blocks.....

I despair at the waste of money by people trying to justify a £100k salary and ignorant clowncillors filling their boots.

[Inspector Knacker]

Our visionary leaders are like some chav family moaning they have nowt but regularly have windfalls from the lottery and rush out and splurge it on something they already have, but failed to look after. Probably because they're a bit thick and can't be bothered to maintain what they already own. The sort of people who order a new carpet when it needs hoovering as they don't know how to use it.

[Disgruntled voter]

Our visionary leaders are like some chav family moaning they have nowt but regularly have windfalls from the lottery and rush out and splurge it on something they already have, but failed to look after. Probably because they're a bit thick and can't be bothered to maintain what they already own. The sort of people who order a new carpet when it needs hoovering as they don't know how to use it.

Exactly

[kevplumb]

I can't help but wonder
If and when we rid ourselves of this bunch of vision merchants
the poor bu**ers that take over will have a mountain to climb sorting the mess out