Selby's 'very costly ghetto'
Published Date:
27 March 2008
THE OLYMPIA Park housing development has raised its ugly head again, this time showing the initial 200 of the projected 600 units that will make up Selby's very own costly ghetto – Positive feedback for redevelopment plans (Selby Times, March 13).
Why a ghetto? Because in land trapped by the River Ouse, a railway embankment, a bypass and existing businesses will be crammed as many houses as the law will allow, and a bridge will be the only way in and out – no accidents, please!
As many units as possible must be crammed in to justify costs to be met even before the build can begin – a bridge to allow builders' access will cost £2 million (at least) or 20 per cent of the total proposal value, as demanded by Network Rail for bridging their land, and several companies need profit. Can 600 units really stand such costs without corners being cut?
So what's in it for Selby? Paying the cost of a major expansion of Selby's effluent treatment infrastructure! And why? Because the effluent will have to find its way to Escrick, but only if this insane proposal to ghetto people, with all the social consequences this will throw up over time, is ever (incredibly) passed by Selby's councillors. And, as a 'flood plain development', some serious cash has to be thrown at anti-flood measures as well!
The Olympia Park housing proposal owes nothing to professional planning for the future well-being of the people of Selby district – the planning department, if allowed, might even tell us it will conflict with and damage future proposals.
Two main companies drive the ghetto proposal – Bellway Homes (who?) and BOCM, and more might have been expected from BOCM, given its years of profit-making here – a park for people to enjoy, not a nightmarish place to live that will forever be a burden on Selby's health, wealth and pursuit of happiness.
Ian Hinchey
Ousebank, Selby
The full article contains 327 words and appears in n/a newspaper.
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Last Updated:
27 March 2008 2:33 PM
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Source:
n/a
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Location:
Selby