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A new vision for Southampton
9:56am Thursday 31st July 2008
Comments (71)
THIS is the stunning vision for a £100m new shopping centre for Southampton packed with restaurants, a luxury cinema, a hotel and 200 apartments in a landmark block.
Rising on the former Pirelli factory site next to the historic city walls, the centre - the biggest commercial development in the city for nearly a decade - has been dubbed Watermark WestQuay.
The 12-acre development will create 1,200 jobs, primarily in construction, leisure and retail.
It is the brainchild of property giant Hammerson, the firm behind the original WestQuay Shopping Centre, which has hired the famed Foreign Office Architects to come up with the striking modern design.
Using the city's medieval walls as a backdrop and a focus, the centre is organised around a 3,500 sq m public plaza, complete with water features, designed to host a range of events from farmers' markets to live music and entertainment and even an extension of the Southampton Boat Show.
Ringed around the edge will be a series of "white tablecloth" fine dining restaurants, forming a dining quarter intended to keep the centre busy throughout the day and into the evening.
Shoppers will also be able to enjoy the latest films in a multi-screen cinema.
Hammerson is thought to be in advanced negotiations with a "luxury" cinema brand offering waiter service in the auditoriums.
The company is also understood to be talking to a well-known high street brand to open a large anchor store for the project. It is widely expected to be a big department store chain.
Above the shops will be another hotel for the city, complete with a grass lawn for guests on the roof.
Towering above the whole development will be a block of 200 flats - a mix of one, two and three-bedroom apartments.
Hammerson says the project will transform the former industrial site.
A statement said: "Watermark WestQuay will transform the disused site into a thriving mixed-use destination, providing new retail leisure and residential facilities for existing residents and visitors alike."
An exhibition about the project opens at WestQuay today.
Hammerson project director Andrew Hilston said: "The exhibition is open to everybody and we hope that people will take the time to come and see the proposals and share their views."
The city council's Cabinet member for economic development, Cllr Royston Smith, said: "The development will, without doubt, attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city and will be a major boost for the economy."
The plans are due to be submitted to the city council later this year.
Click HERE for a larger view
Your Say YourDaily Echo
Andrew, Southampton says...
10:04am Thu 31 Jul 08
Watch out for more mayhem on our roads....
Darth Vaida, Flats says...
10:04am Thu 31 Jul 08
jimbo, Southampton, for now says...
10:08am Thu 31 Jul 08
A proposal full of nothing.
Hundred's of thousands of visitors? What, to come and laugh at us for having ZERO vision, ZERO guts, ZERO pride and ZERO city?
gorf, soton says...
10:08am Thu 31 Jul 08
but no sign of a new coach station/train station travel interchange or an out of town park and ride system??
how are people going to get to these places as the road will be grid lock
People who travel to red funnel will suffer too
hulla, baloo says...
10:16am Thu 31 Jul 08
Yet more flats, another hotel,cinema and restaurants.
Is this really the best that can be offered?
Where is the vision, doing the right thing for the community in general, and not just pandering to the whim of businesses and investors.
How about open land, parks and green areas.
This, I believe, is what the majority of Southamptonions want.
Admittedly, it won't bring in the extra money, but the feelgood factor for the locals is also important.
Darth Vaida, Honeysuckle says...
10:17am Thu 31 Jul 08
Family Man, Bitterne says...
10:22am Thu 31 Jul 08
Whilst I have constantly railed against the increasing number of apartments being built in Southampton, 200 additional flats seems extremely modest in proportion to the scale of the development.
I am surprised that there is need for yet another hotel however!
It would be great if the development was to include a greater element of "cafe culture", providing of course that there is something to capture the interest.
I notice it does not mention additional shops, which is a shame, as the shops in West Quay largely replicate any High Street of good size, making it relatively uninteresting in terms of "something different".
All in all an interesting addition to West Quay, but I hope it won't cause or accelrate the death of Above Bar.. especially as the further north you get, the deader it becomes.
Darth Vaida, Honeysuckall says...
10:32am Thu 31 Jul 08
wasted, So'ton says...
10:36am Thu 31 Jul 08
Leggoland, says...
10:51am Thu 31 Jul 08
Trust me, southampton says...
11:02am Thu 31 Jul 08
Honest
allsaintsnocurves, southampton says...
11:08am Thu 31 Jul 08
Darth Vaida wrote:Why if Southampton councilors have any plans to improve all these transporation networks have they not done it now before all the increased traffic is already present?? That's not really forward planning is it? Wait until everything is congested then make it even more congested by digging up the roads! I proposed a monorail link up ages ago as it would be above ground would look good and could link up different parts of the city and station! Even in London they are looking at putting ski resort style cable cars to take people across the Thames...Southampton needs to start thinking like this!
I dont agree with having a cinema as we seem to have enough already, although why are people in southampton so concerned with car congestion and car parking. We need a park and ride as in many other busy towns and cities. When 32300 fans used to come and see the saints most people got the bus or walked there was no issue there. All these changes may bring about a new coach station, the train station is being done up soon. We could do with more cycle lanes. Hey maybe even an underground tube network?
Sheitma Pance, Soton says...
11:27am Thu 31 Jul 08
Same is true of the cinemas. One or two of the smaller ones in Soton will close.
Jane Scott, Southampton says...
11:39am Thu 31 Jul 08
Some of you are saying that there is no park or green areas - the photos in the Echo show that there will be and they look really nice. And for the first time ever, the City Walls will be celebrated! Horrah!
the vengeful cabbage, says...
11:48am Thu 31 Jul 08
Rupert Lowe, Southampton says...
11:52am Thu 31 Jul 08
Darth Mall, Flower State says...
11:53am Thu 31 Jul 08
Lowe Out, but not hating the world says...
12:14pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Go for it Southampton, be bold and brave!
chris, southampton says...
12:17pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Shot, Chiraz Towers says...
12:20pm Thu 31 Jul 08
St. Ray, St. Elsewhere says...
12:22pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Jane Scott, Southampton says...
12:23pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Shot wrote:Its not the council building it you idiot! Its the developer that built the original shopping centre.
council aint got clue mush, why dont they pay ovv saints satdium, with £100m we can get bak in prem back where we belong. Or they get rid of teh parks in town centre as too many weridos there at night and make it park in ride, that wil sort issue out of traffic.
Seb, Sotton says...
12:33pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Shot, Village of Thornhill says...
12:37pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Jane Scott wrote:nah jane i disagree, wot bout taxes that we pay to clean up this monster-oisstey, wot bout tyrell n green and money spent selling it off, that place shoudl be makeing silly money for council also east street shopin centre....man on mann have built in out town and messed it up yo. Im willing to say yes if ice rink
Shot wrote: council aint got clue mush, why dont they pay ovv saints satdium, with £100m we can get bak in prem back where we belong. Or they get rid of teh parks in town centre as too many weridos there at night and make it park in ride, that wil sort issue out of traffic.Its not the council building it you idiot! Its the developer that built the original shopping centre.
Dowayne neufville, southampton says...
12:41pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Poondus, Estate says...
12:47pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Mr E, Eastlerigh says...
12:54pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Andy, central says...
12:56pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Southampton needs to explore different uses for such sites to bring visitors instead of selling out every time. Developers need to take more of a risk to deliver exiting spaces which do not look like every other mindless town. We are building for a CHAV culture which is very bad.
Soton Realist, Southampton says...
12:57pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Regardless of any short term recession, there is obviously long term demand for flats otherwise no company would invest huge sums of money in them. After all, no private company will willingly throw money away. A lot of people complain that too many flats are built at the expense of family housing. I agree if that happens in the suburbs but city centre locations will never be suited to housing developments with gardens.
Many people want an ice-rink to be built. Perhaps companies think it would only make money in the winter and therefore not viable which is why you get the temporary rinks. Ask yourself, day out in the sun or a day inside? Shops, cinemas & hotels all attract jobs, visitors and increase competition, so what on earth is wrong with that?
P.S. Im not a council worker, property developer, or have any particular political leanings. I just work in an office.
bloke from bitteren parkish, soton says...
1:01pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Blossom, Soton says...
1:18pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Soton Realist wrote:It could be an ice rink in the winter, and a swimming pool in the summer!!!
Is it just me or are other person getting tired at the complaints of more flats! each time a new city centre development is proposed. Personally, I think the plans look good and certainly will look a lot nicer than just undeveloped land sitting there. Regardless of any short term recession, there is obviously long term demand for flats otherwise no company would invest huge sums of money in them. After all, no private company will willingly throw money away. A lot of people complain that too many flats are built at the expense of family housing. I agree if that happens in the suburbs but city centre locations will never be suited to housing developments with gardens. Many people want an ice-rink to be built. Perhaps companies think it would only make money in the winter and therefore not viable which is why you get the temporary rinks. Ask yourself, day out in the sun or a day inside? Shops, cinemas & hotels all attract jobs, visitors and increase competition, so what on earth is wrong with that? P.S. Im not a council worker, property developer, or have any particular political leanings. I just work in an office.
PS I also just work in an office, and its nothing to be ashamed of. We do important jobs and this country couldnt run without us
Just a thought, says...
1:22pm Thu 31 Jul 08
There are shops for shoppers; movies AGAIN mostly for locals; cafes will no doubt be expensive etc etc.
What here will bring in families to Southampton to see the city not just shop because believe it or not most people don't just shop on their holidays!!
halftime orange, chandler's ford says...
1:22pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Darth Vaida, Butts Road currently says...
1:34pm Thu 31 Jul 08
halftime orange wrote:Yeah but we got Brett Omerod. Joking anyway FAO Halftime Orange you are forgetting we have a top top university, immense golf courses, colossal Sports Centre a belter of a nightclub. Also Empress Road. LOWE IN LOWE OUT.
Entering Southampton from the north you pass a wonderful common, possibly the best in the country and then.......zilch. The city has nothing to offer except all the usual big stores in West Quay and a Debenhams, one true departmental store outside the precinctised area. Nowhere to see the big ships, no ice rink, speedway, greyhound stadium, no proper restaurant area, run down parks, a rusting soccer stadium and a club with no future - simply nothing worth visiting for that isn't easier to get to outside. For restaurants and football see Portsmouth, for speedway and greyhounds see Poole, for ice rink see Basingstoke and, soon, for cinema and bowling see Eastleigh. For viewing big ships probably I.O.W.
the vengeful cabbage, plotting stuff says...
1:35pm Thu 31 Jul 08
halftime orange wrote:I agree another park would be nice, for the kind of money beinng dicussed they could build a slope right up to ground floor level in west quay hide the road in a tunnel and put a tended woodland garden in which would increase the wow factor of what we allready have. if they wanted to be brave they could have a waterfall off the roof of westquay that would recycle water to the geothermal plant.
Entering Southampton from the north you pass a wonderful common, possibly the best in the country and then.......zilch. The city has nothing to offer except all the usual big stores in West Quay and a Debenhams, one true departmental store outside the precinctised area. Nowhere to see the big ships, no ice rink, speedway, greyhound stadium, no proper restaurant area, run down parks, a rusting soccer stadium and a club with no future - simply nothing worth visiting for that isn't easier to get to outside. For restaurants and football see Portsmouth, for speedway and greyhounds see Poole, for ice rink see Basingstoke and, soon, for cinema and bowling see Eastleigh. For viewing big ships probably I.O.W.
THE BRICK, Southampton says...
1:37pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Counillors, read my dimples, WE NEED AN ICE RINK AHEAD OF ALL YOUR FANCIFUL SHOPS, FLATS, CINEMAS AND HOTELS.
Oh and by the way, Hammerson would love to develop an ice rink but you won't let them. The people will have thier say and yet again the voters who put you in will take you out.
MADNESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
!
Chrissie, Soton says...
1:40pm Thu 31 Jul 08
THE BRICK wrote:Oh Brick, you are soooooo cwazy!!
More shops? We have more than we need already, some are already closing or closed. Another cinema? There are too many already. Flats? So they can be added to the hundreds of flats no one can afford, and we don't need. Another hotel, give me a break,the only item that is not mentioned that the people want is an ICE RINK. Oops, I'm shivering again, mentioning an ice rink where I came from 20 years ago. Counillors, read my dimples, WE NEED AN ICE RINK AHEAD OF ALL YOUR FANCIFUL SHOPS, FLATS, CINEMAS AND HOTELS. Oh and by the way, Hammerson would love to develop an ice rink but you won't let them. The people will have thier say and yet again the voters who put you in will take you out. MADNESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS !
Chrissie wants an ICE RINK!! But i will probably only use it once, and then the novelty will wear off. But the one time i do use will live in my memory forever and ever
Darth Vaida, shirley now says...
1:43pm Thu 31 Jul 08
THE BRICK wrote:Get over yourself the ice rink thing is a joke and it would be a proper joke to actually have one. Keep your drivel to yourself!
More shops? We have more than we need already, some are already closing or closed. Another cinema? There are too many already. Flats? So they can be added to the hundreds of flats no one can afford, and we don\\\'t need. Another hotel, give me a break,the only item that is not mentioned that the people want is an ICE RINK. Oops, I\\\'m shivering again, mentioning an ice rink where I came from 20 years ago. Counillors, read my dimples, WE NEED AN ICE RINK AHEAD OF ALL YOUR FANCIFUL SHOPS, FLATS, CINEMAS AND HOTELS. Oh and by the way, Hammerson would love to develop an ice rink but you won\\\'t let them. The people will have thier say and yet again the voters who put you in will take you out. MADNESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS !
Iain, Lordshill says...
1:48pm Thu 31 Jul 08
clare, Southampton says...
2:11pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Soton Realist, Southampton says...
2:39pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Everyone will have different choices of home, city centre flats will be generally popular with young professionals who want to be closer to work and nightlife etc. Saying that there should be no more flats built is just incredibly narrow minded.
Family Man, Bitterne says...
2:44pm Thu 31 Jul 08
clare wrote:As you say, ice rinks notoriously don't make money, and as "Chrissie" said, the novelty quickly wears off (for most of us).
Seriously? An Ice Rink? No one will build one because they notoriously don't make any money.
What Southampton really really needs is a good class venue with sufficient flexibilty and size to be able to hold exhibitions, major conferences and concerts (that would attract the major names and that are indoors so aren't subject to the vagaries of the weather). London has quite a few, so has Birmingham, and even Bournemouth and Brighton have better facilities.
Now that would genuinely put Southampton "on the map"! I might even go there myself!
Plum Pudding, Swamptown says...
2:58pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Soton Realist wrote:I read recently that there are about 500,000 unsold flats on the market in the UK so I am not sure how that stacks up against a shortage of 2,000,00 homes except to say that it appears that flats are not wanted!! And many of those who bought to let have been absolutely ripped of by unscrupulous marketers (see the recent "The truth about the Property Market" programmes). And given that there have been no recent (in years) developments of family homes in Southampton, only flats, the choice is to buy is increasingly restricted, aspecially as the scarcity of family homes will inevitably drive up prices of homes. So far from "narrow minded" in opposing flats, many of those who oppose them are speaking with a deal of common sense. And I for one, given a choice, would not want to bring up kids in a flat, I would rather they spent much time outdoors in the garden.
So wheres the logic in not building new flats? Prices have risen so much in the last decade or so because there is an overall shortage of homes, about 2 million. It is simply supply/demand. Not building anymore just makes the problem worse and will just increase prices even further when the economy recovers. A growing population caused by people living longer, increasing birth rates, people getting divorced are all reasons why there is a shortage. The popularity of buying to let and the potential returns of high prices then in turn reduce the supply of homes even further. Everyone will have different choices of home, city centre flats will be generally popular with young professionals who want to be closer to work and nightlife etc. Saying that there should be no more flats built is just incredibly narrow minded.
Darth Vaida, dustbin busking says...
3:53pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Anon, Fareham says...
4:04pm Thu 31 Jul 08
At the end of the day, it's up to the landlords what they do and no matter, they will go ahead with this scheme anyway, from Anon
loli, Southampton says...
4:05pm Thu 31 Jul 08
SJ, Woolston says...
4:11pm Thu 31 Jul 08
loli wrote:I agree, Southampton has nothing, really ugly, and dirty at that, look at our streets, filth everywhere
I may live in Southampton but I mainly go down to Bournemouth to shop and go out in the evening. They seem to take pride in their town lovely parks and flowers and greenery thoughout with lots to do all the time, not just ugly concrete everywhere. Southampton council take a leaf out of bournemouths book
Peter, Portswood says...
4:31pm Thu 31 Jul 08
The flat craze has gone people have woken up to realise they were just a marketing ploy for silly people to jump on the property bandwagon.
I am a young prof and could not think of anything worse than living in the centre of Southampton in a flat which will plumet in value . All the buy to let investors will only rent them to social housing tenants now and so creating a downward spiral in prices. Gone are the days for silly mortgages as lender will not lend in Southampton central if they have other flats within blocks.
These flats if built will only be worth peanuts and even then a 80,000 flat in Southampton centre costing you £600 per month to mortgage seems a complete rip off and looks like a jail sentence not an investment.
I laugh when i see that the posh "French Quarter" is to have a Subway. This is the sign of things to come .
Christoff, says...
4:55pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Peter wrote:quite true but don't forget, the property market goes in cycles. Yep, prices are dropping but at the same time Lender's are slowly but surely becoming keen to lend again. So, if you were to buy a flat cheaply whilst developers are desperate to get rid, you could be doing yourself a favour.
More flats! The flat craze has gone people have woken up to realise they were just a marketing ploy for silly people to jump on the property bandwagon. I am a young prof and could not think of anything worse than living in the centre of Southampton in a flat which will plumet in value . All the buy to let investors will only rent them to social housing tenants now and so creating a downward spiral in prices. Gone are the days for silly mortgages as lender will not lend in Southampton central if they have other flats within blocks. These flats if built will only be worth peanuts and even then a 80,000 flat in Southampton centre costing you £600 per month to mortgage seems a complete rip off and looks like a jail sentence not an investment. I laugh when i see that the posh "French Quarter" is to have a Subway. This is the sign of things to come .
As long as you have a decent deposit and are happy to ride out the storm that is.
joe, southampton says...
5:01pm Thu 31 Jul 08
joe, southampton says...
5:05pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Family Man wrote:Yes yes yes. Great idea
clare wrote: Seriously? An Ice Rink? No one will build one because they notoriously don\'t make any money.As you say, ice rinks notoriously don\'t make money, and as \"Chrissie\" said, the novelty quickly wears off (for most of us). What Southampton really really needs is a good class venue with sufficient flexibilty and size to be able to hold exhibitions, major conferences and concerts (that would attract the major names and that are indoors so aren\'t subject to the vagaries of the weather). London has quite a few, so has Birmingham, and even Bournemouth and Brighton have better facilities. Now that would genuinely put Southampton \"on the map\"! I might even go there myself!
Nicki, says...
5:47pm Thu 31 Jul 08
THE BRICK, Southampton says...
5:49pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Family Man wrote:Yes they do make money. The rink we had was making a nice profit thank you very much, the site was worth more as housing land. The rink WAS MAKING A PROFIT and if you look at Guildford, Bracknell and other rinks they make a nice profit too. They are not a novelty, and it is only the council which stands in the way of development. Family Man and Clare don't have a clue, and have probably never have had.
clare wrote:As you say, ice rinks notoriously don\'t make money, and as \"Chrissie\" said, the novelty quickly wears off (for most of us).
Seriously? An Ice Rink? No one will build one because they notoriously don\'t make any money.
What Southampton really really needs is a good class venue with sufficient flexibilty and size to be able to hold exhibitions, major conferences and concerts (that would attract the major names and that are indoors so aren\'t subject to the vagaries of the weather). London has quite a few, so has Birmingham, and even Bournemouth and Brighton have better facilities.
Now that would genuinely put Southampton \"on the map\"! I might even go there myself!
Andy, Soton says...
6:07pm Thu 31 Jul 08
pompeychris, southampton says...
6:32pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Captain Birdseye, Soton says...
7:35pm Thu 31 Jul 08
The council? Are you willing for your council tax to go up?
Those on here complaining about more shops and restuarants are the same people moaning that Portsmouth was going to have the Northern Quarter and built gunwharf quays and that the city centre was full of takeaways.
The same people who whinge when presented with a plan turn into a bunch of hypocritics.
crap, says...
7:37pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Jim, Southampton says...
8:47pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Son of Fred, Beastleigh says...
9:22pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Data released this week shows retail Sales at their lowest level in 25 years at -36 points.
Consumer confidence is at it's lowest ever at -39 points and mortgage approvals have also hit a new recorded low.
The consumer Confidence survey also revealed that every 4 out of 10 consumers surveyed said they would be eating out less in future.
Yet Cllr Royston-Vasey thinks this is the right time to build a shops, flats and 'Fine dining' (i.e expensive dining) complex ( which will:
"without doubt , attract hundreds of thousands of visitors to the city"
Well, I have got strong doubts that it will ever be built and that Hammerson - already stretched with simililar white elephants in hackney and Aberdeen- will be able to avoid insolvency if they press ahead.
MICHAEL, southampton says...
9:47pm Thu 31 Jul 08
mark walker, southampton says...
9:58pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Beemer Bill, New Forest says...
10:24pm Thu 31 Jul 08
beaster, Bassett says...
11:06pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Nothing much happens in Southampton unless it gives the council a chance to put in loads of sets of traffic lights. This plan doesn't, so it won't be built. lets face it, we live in a crap city, with crap roads and a useless council who are too busy arguing with each other to do what's right for the populace.
BRJ, 502-340 says...
11:42pm Thu 31 Jul 08
Not many I'll bet. It seems that in this day and age people are quite happy to bleat and moan about anything and everything from the comfort of their armchair, blaming everyone else for all manner of problems and giving endless suggestions about how they could do things better - yet very few of these people will actually try to 'do' anything constructive to try and change the way things are or will be.
Meh.
badlydrawnsaint, Hedge End says...
12:02am Fri 1 Aug 08
Steve Moore, Hamilton, New Zealand says...
1:34am Fri 1 Aug 08
Patron, Soton says...
5:23am Fri 1 Aug 08
SJ, Southampton says...
9:32am Fri 1 Aug 08
I think these proposals are a great idea. The Echo didn't mention the same old 'Nando's' and the like (even though that seems to have worked fine for Gunwharf) - it mentioned a fine dining quarter with 'white tablecloth' restaurants. That is what Southampton needs. The only area with nice restaurants is Oxford Street and that isn't enough. There needs to be a nice classy communal area.
I wish everyone would be a bit more positive - would you rather we just kept the derelict land as it is?
Nick, Southampton says...
12:21am Sat 2 Aug 08
Apparently they also want to build more hotels. Why? Southampton is not a tourist destination and never will be (as all we have are shopping centres and nothing of cultural value). Ask any taxi driver: tourists stay only overnight in Southampton (after getting off a ship), before travelling onto somewhere genuinely of interest to a tourist, such as London or Bath. Ask a taxi driver what they'd recommend to a tourist wanting to see something of value in Soton and they'd be stumped. In fact, they'd most likely recommend going to Portsmouth or Stonehenge.
Like SJ, above, says - those who keep on going on about bloody ice rinks are stuck a couple of decades in the past - no one under 40 will want to go to one, except for chavs. The 'French quarter' is a joke, while only Oxford St is worth going to. If you are younger, then maybe you can find something of interest in Bevois Valley or Bedford Pl (although there are far more prats in Bedford Pl nowadays).
However SJ, you seem to be unaware that this land in question was originally earmarked as green land to offset the impact of the construction of West Quay. I'm not overly concerned about green land but, yes, derelict land IS preferable to a bland West Quay Mk2.
Let's not forget the old John Lewis site either! Originally earmarked as a 'cultural quarter' (yes, I hear you laugh, the words 'Southampton' and 'cultural' don't go together, but at least it was a step in the right direction. But now I hear that the land is to be levelled and turned into a park, albeit for the short to medium future while the council can 'work out what to do about it' or, in other words, find a developer who's interested in such cheap land (i.e. land that's already been made ready for building free of charge by the local council). So, more instead of a cultural quarter. Ever thought of building a gig venue, i.e. a genuinely good one (not St Mary's) which major bands (good bands, not Bon Jovi) could visit instead or normally bypassing us for Portsmouth. At least then Southampton could then start carving out a reputation for being 'cool' compared to Portsmouth, which has currently stolen the march on us.
I suppose we'd be in with a chance if we had a local media that looked at council initiatives with a critical eye. Instead we have the Daily Echo which clearly can't be bothered to do anything put copy and paste the developer's press release into the next morning's edition. Pathetic. But then I guess they are grateful for something to stick in this boring rag; people talk of a 'slow news day', with the Echo it's 'slow news century'.
Both the council and the Echo should take the blame for such a stagnant city we've become.
nick, southampton says...
12:25am Sat 2 Aug 08
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Shazza, says...
10:01am Thu 31 Jul 08
Ice rink
Laser beams firing messages into space to our UFO friends, spitfire / northern statue thingy...
I would like to take this opportunity to say how outraged I am...