steve cook
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Anyone familiar with the story of Tun. Wells? - 2007/04/23 13:05
As someone born in T.W. and who lived there until '03, there are some salutary reminders of the effect of development to be drawn with what my new adopted town is facing. Bearing in mind that T.W. has long been a magnet for visitors and for London based commuters to come to live in, to secure themselves a slice of leafy suburbia, there are many parallels with Lewes. While it doesn't have a medieval core (or indeed a castle) it does boast a wonderful example of Georgian elegance in it's Pantiles collonaded walkway, the attraction of which was not just it's visual appeal but it's diverse and independent shops and cafes. Back in the 90's the area was buzzing and Tunbridge Wells in general had something very different about it when you stood it alongside most other large towns in Kent and Sussex. Then evrything changed...
When TWBC agreed to allow the Victoria Project Shopping Mall to be developed the town acquired wall to wall multiples and chain stores, somewhere for the 12 to 17 year olds to congregate in their droves no matter how warm and sunny the day might be, and projected the town to Britain's 40th favourite shopping experience (apparently) which meant that the infrastructure became overwhelmed with clogged up roads vying for space in the multistoreys. But more than the impact of all the extra traffic whose occupants sought the latest designer fashions or who couldn't get through the day without their visit to Cafe Nero, the whole dynamic of the town has been irreversibly altered. The Pantiles end is now visited only by out-of-town, ageing coach trippers and European tourists because the whole focus is on the draw of the Victoria Centre and most shoppers refuse to consider the long walk from that end of town down through the high street and on to The Pantiles to be worth the effort!
Is there not a major probability that something similar will befall Lewes and the independents in the high street and Cliffe will see trade drifting away never to return in the numbers needed to keep them afloat? Develop by all means and regeneration is certainly needed but if the result is splitting the town in twain the way Tunbridge Wells has been it would be a legacy surely nobody wants.
Incidentally, if LDC are looking for inspiration on how to proceed with courage and vision they could do worse then look to Surrey and to Woking district council for some amazing results on their achievements for sustainable and eco-friendly developments.
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