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Boardwalk :: Forum List The Phoenix Quarter General Discussion

<< Start < Prev 1 2 Next > End >> paddock   charles style nominees - 2007/03/05 19:59 I am the Artistic Director of Paddock Productions, one of the arts groups asked by Charles Style to be part of the stakeholder visioning process. I am horrified to think that we are being considered stooges of Charles Style, and I wanted to write in to clarify that this is most definitely not the case. There is absolutely no way I would let Charles – or any other group, for that matter – bully or buy me into supporting or protesting a planning application over which I had doubts. At no time, has Charles ever suggested that we support his bid, or indeed entered into detailed conversation about it, other than asking for our professional opinion about what sort of arts centre building we believe would best suit the community as a whole. I also want to add that it was The Paddock who contacted Charles, back in October, because we needed a large enough space in which to stage the community opera we have commissioned to be premiered in Lewes this summer, which already involves over 60 amateur singers, kids and adults, as well as 15 professional singers and band, so needs a lot of room! Some months after that, Charles asked us whether we would be interested in becoming stakeholders, as he thought there should be an arts facility as part of the development. I agreed, with the hope that besides suggesting a format for an arts centre, I could also in a small way, put my voice forward in the areas of sustainability, a carbon zero build, and the real risk of flooding. I am a paid-up member, so to speak, of Transition Town Lewes, and these areas are of real concern for me, as Charles well knows. When I attended the Vision Meeting, it was those topics I sat in on. I have even asked Charles to join a committee linked with Transition Town Lewes who want to see a car club established on whatever development takes place. I am not naive: I agree that it is hard to have a true visioning process when things are this far down the road, but I also take the Council at face value when they say that they have not yet decided, and that there is still an option of no development. I share many of the same environmental concerns as Lewes Matters, but I'm not ready to demonize anyone yet. If the development does go ahead, I'd rather be talking to Charles, still trying to influence him, than not, but I would be very insulted if he tried to sway my vote in any way, and he has certainly not. I appreciate what Lewes Matters is trying to do, and hope that this post will be accepted as part of the same democratic process they support.   | | You must login if you wish to contribute to this forum. Would-be stake-holder   Re:charles style nominees - 2007/03/05 23:14 Quote "I am the Artistic Director of Paddock Productions, one of the arts groups asked by Charles Style to be part of the stakeholder visioning process." I for one didn't appreciate that Charles Style was in charge of determining who the stake-holders were! Why shouldn't we all be stake-holders? (in reality we are - we're all going to be affected).   | | You must login if you wish to contribute to this forum. michael st john   Re:charles style nominees - 2007/03/06 00:06 This sounds so familiar to those of us who have watched the developer do his thing, and do it with great skill with so many different parties. Who is demonising the developer? He is doing his job and is doing it pretty well but his stated profit margins on this development together with his experience will ensure that not an ounce of his efforts will be misdirected. It is true is it not that Paddock Productions have received a grant from Charles Style and I may be wrong but isn't the composer of the forthcoming opera brother to the developer's architect? please put me right on that one if you need to. Final question - is it me but is there something happening in Lewes whereby the prefix "community" seems to purchase a spot on the moral high ground?   | | You must login if you wish to contribute to this forum. paddock   Re:charles style nominees - 2007/03/06 03:56 Paddock Productions has not received any grant from Charles Style. He is letting us use an empty warehouse for the opera, but we are paying all the costs of reinstating electricity/water and making it habitable for an audience. I have no moral high ground - I'm just trying to put on a project that people will enjoy. Are we to be blamed that the composer has an architect brother when this opera has been in the planning for two years, before any of us had heard of Angel Properties or knew anything about the Phoenix Development? I am not the enemy!   | | You must login if you wish to contribute to this forum. charles style   Re:charles style nominees - 2007/03/06 04:48 I did not determine who the stakeholders should be, that decision was made by Lewes District Council who sent out invitations to all the stakeholder groups. I think it is very small minded that people who do good works and who are not in any way corruptable, not that one would wish to even consider corrupting them, to get them to support any specific vision for the area are being subjected to this kind of abuse. These are people who have a real vision of what could be of great benefit to the "community", if I dare use that word and are very experienced in providing service and activities to the community in the Arts and for young people and are totally independent. Lewes District Council is looking for people to get involved in "place shaping" and the Arts and community facilities could be very important in this.   | | You must login if you wish to contribute to this forum. C M Darcy   Re:charles style nominees - 2007/03/06 19:38 "Abuse" seems a pretty strong term for what is simply an attempt to understand how the Vision process was put together. It seems the Council was perhaps remiss in not asking all stakeholders to declare an interest whether personal, financial or from benefits in kind from the developer. We all know that Sculptureco are in receipt of £15.000 from Angel Property from the Town Hall minutes of 27th July 2006. Perhaps other groups would like to clarify their positions now so as to set the record straight.   | | You must login if you wish to contribute to this forum.

Boardwalk :: Forum List The Phoenix Quarter General Discussion

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