Stockton Street.

[Inspector Knacker]

The beautification project continues apace, the destination project for those arriving in the town centre so they know where they are. You couldn't make it up.
The question I have is this, is it a twee gentrification exercise, or is it an improvement with practical applications?
The part of Stockton Street between Park Road and Tesco roundabout has a dangerous crossing point between the Blacksmiths and Burbank Street, where pedestrians have to teeter on a two foot strip of cobbles between two lanes and it's been like that for years. There are no safety barriers the full length of the road on both sides of a busy dual carriageway, but hey, pretty barriers with cute symbols are apparently a must further up the road.
No surprise there then.

[Lucy Lass-Tick]

Bizarre.

[Heknocks68]

Speaking of bizarre, is the rustic look footpath going to be cleaned by the contractor(s) ? Or will this be funded from the local CT increase?

[Inspector Knacker]

Speaking of bizarre, is the rustic look footpath going to be cleaned by the contractor(s) ? Or will this be funded from the local CT increase?

Are you referring to the Brilliant white mottled paving slabs? Such a wise choice and they should look pristine for 2 or 3 days, or possibly not.

[Inspector Knacker]

Driving through the works, I noticed that on the college side of Stockton Street where there was a gap between the barrier and the road where shrubs were planted a few years back, that gap is being filled with old paving stones lifted from what appears to be the other side of the street ?
This could all have been done a lot cheaper by getting the central barrier brickwork and paving stones power washed, the railings painted (which no one does now apparently) and replaced where needed and the neglected shrubs maintained.
As for their destination Hartlepool cobblers, visitors will know they're in Hartlepool because they've passed road signs by the dozen telling them . They won't give a monkey's hoot for fancy dan railings and other irrelevant, over priced street trinkets.

[diSme]

Driving through the works, I noticed that on the college side of Stockton Street where there was a gap between the barrier and the road where shrubs were planted a few years back, that gap is being filled with old paving stones lifted from what appears to be the other side of the street ?
This could all have been done a lot cheaper by getting the central barrier brickwork and paving stones power washed, the railings painted (which no one does now apparently) and replaced where needed and the neglected shrubs maintained.
As for their destination Hartlepool cobblers, visitors will know they're in Hartlepool because they've passed road signs by the dozen telling them . They won't give a monkey's hoot for fancy dan railings and other irrelevant, over priced street trinkets.

I totally agree.

It would clearly have been more economical to improve what already existed, however that may have jeopardised the elite's pocket money, which is the obvious priority...

[Inspector Knacker]

Despite all their bombastic rhetoric about 'Visions', I really don't think they have a clue what a vision is. All they do is splash the cash on previous Council or TDC projects and re-invent it as their own and hope no one is any the wiser.
Driving past the Jackson's Landing Site it looks like another ex TDC project is becoming a storage depot for most of the worlds supply of paving stones. Instead of revisiting previous projects can they do nothing original..... but that would require real 'vision' and their 'vision' is always a poor reflection of someone else's vision.