Barrow Docks “Regeneration”

I think it was Goebells who once said, “Every time I hear the word culture, I want to reach for my revolver.”

 

I’m afraid every time I hear the word regeneration it merely fills me with a sense of dread. It’s not the idea of using ‘brownfield’ sites - Sites that became derelict as Britain moved from being a manufacturing, export driven nation proud of our Engineers and Scientists, into a country that can’t even build its own flagship liners.

What I’m dreading is the avalanche of pseudo corporate flannel and wool pulling gobbledy-gook, all wrapped up in smoke & mirrors that is going to pour forth as a highly paid army of consultants & blue sky thinkers prepare to gorge themselves on PowerPoint Presentations and Excel Spreadsheets.

 

Excellent examples can be found here and (my particular favourite for optimism, er... wishful thinking) is here however here is a little more honesty about what has happened and what is going to happen - not much.

 

But the prize for smoke & mirrors goes to www.waterfrontbpbarrow.com

And the prize for wool pulling on their site belongs to this statement:.............

 

“Come and join these companies on the Waterfront.....

These companies are allready (there’s only one L in already - BTW), successfully operating from Barrow's Waterfront:”

                              

 

 

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Associated British Ports plc  ...........................        In one form or another been there since 1869

BAESYSTEMS Submarines   ..........................      Nothing new there since the 1870's

James Fisher    ...................................................    Have operated out of Barrow Channel since 1847

Centrica Energy     .....................................            There before the 'Waterfront' regeneration. British Gas Condensate since 1982

Tarmac    ...................................................            Cement plant on the docks before it became the 'Waterfront'

British Nuclear Group   .....................................      BNFL (INS)  Marine Terminal has been there since the 1980's

Dong    ...............................................................    Based on Belfast Berth & South Side, Windfarm project contractors.

Vestas    ..........................................................       As per Dong.

Reliance Security   ..................................................Temporary security for (among others) Wind farm construction site.

Bay Towage and Salvage Company Limited   ..........Bay Towage have been there for years in old dock buildings.

Underwater Diving Services    ................................ As Bay Towage

St Andrews Engineering   ............................            St Andrews Engineering have been on this site for 40 odd years. (Birrels)

BL Gilbert   ...............................................             Have used delapidated old station as store for at least 40 years.

Empat Removals   .......................................            Empat have moved from the delapidated old station.

The statement and list above is of course entirely truthful, (my comments in red) but it implies that these companies somehow owe their success to the “Waterfront” project. In fact most of them were established years before the conception of the Business Park, some in old Furness Railway buildings.  Because the truth is that the Waterfront Project has not erected a single substantial building since its inception in 2003.

 

After putting the groundworks & underground piping in place, building a new access road (for which the residents of Ramsden Dock Road are eternally grateful), erecting street lights, some nice sandstone gateways & bulldozing the allotments all the contractors have left the site; which today is deserted.

 

According to Love Barrow “That is because its regeneration paymaster, the 500-job Northwest Regional Development Agency in Warrington, is being swept away in a political move by the Con-Lib coalition government.”

 

But, how can this explain why the contractors stopped work and were all fired in May 2010, just before the Coalition was elected.

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 REGENERATION