Cuts - And So It Begins

Thrugelmir

lostinrates wrote: »

Its expensive to walk round those rocks you know. The area already has a high density of NT attractions (Just down the 303 is Stourhead, the most visited NT garden of all...so I'm told), Longleat, is not far from the north of the New Forest. Toursm is indeed a thriving industry here, and needs to be recognised as such, but ...the point is that stone henge already has a huge take, and thats for it being as it is...buildings would blight it. Tourism works here by being spread about, instead of going to something like Disneyworld for a week they go for a day to stone henge and salisbury, a day to bath, a day to Longleat...etc etc..... the money is spread.

Its also on the major artery to the south of the south west region (those of us for who the M4 is too high) and is in an area fragile for road building, though talks about 303 widening on various stretches rumble on. Fridays and sunday evenings are pretty wretched.

The biggest thing Stonehenge has is tht is remains relatively unblighted by buildings. Driving past it is wonderful, especially at dawn or dusk, or in bad weather, and the talks about a tunnel were interesting, and despite the loss to my personal enjoyment of a regular drive past it, I think it might not have been a bad thing for tourism....if horrifically expensive.

I know the area well, and the places you mention.

Without knowing the plan that English heritage have. Its difficult to comment on their plans for "The Stones". The Olympics, however, are a great opportunity to "sell" this country to a global audience. Meet a real American for example and they truly adore our heritage, buildings, historical sites etc.

kaya

olympic games? can't think of a better way to waste 6 billion of taxpayers money, can you?

ILW

StevieJ wrote: »

Are you Joe King? have you not heard? the banks are a tiny bit Scottish with their cash (I meant our cash) at the moment.

They will lend on a solid business, not on pie in the sky, job creation schemes though.

Snooze

mbga9pgf wrote: »

BEcuase its northern and full of labour voters :T

Quite a lot of truth in that actually. When Maggie shut down the pits that was pretty much all of S Yorks on the dole so voting Tory to them was like turkey's voting for Crimbo. :cool:

lostinrates

Thrugelmir wrote: »

I know the area well, and the places you mention.

Without knowing the plan that English heritage have. Its difficult to comment on their plans for "The Stones". The Olympics, however, are a great opportunity to "sell" this country to a global audience. Meet a real American for example and they truly adore our heritage, buildings, historical sites etc.

I think Stonehenge IS well sold already...and yes, Americans, in fact most people do, (I think its only us who don't, we make far less of our own heritage than many other ''old country'' neighbours.)and we could do FAR more to monopolise one this, but that's the wrong target IMO, its pretty fantastic as is.

ILW

lostinrates wrote: »

Its expensive to walk round those rocks you know. The area already has a high density of NT attractions (Just down the 303 is Stourhead, the most visited NT garden of all...so I'm told), Longleat, is not far from the north of the New Forest. Toursm is indeed a thriving industry here, and needs to be recognised as such, but ...the point is that stone henge already has a huge take, and thats for it being as it is...buildings would blight it. Tourism works here by being spread about, instead of going to something like Disneyworld for a week they go for a day to stone henge and salisbury, a day to bath, a day to Longleat...etc etc..... the money is spread.

Its also on the major artery to the south of the south west region (those of us for who the M4 is too high) and is in an area fragile for road building, though talks about 303 widening on various stretches rumble on. Fridays and sunday evenings are pretty wretched.

The biggest thing Stonehenge has is tht is remains relatively unblighted by buildings. Driving past it is wonderful, especially at dawn or dusk, or in bad weather, and the talks about a tunnel were interesting, and despite the loss to my personal enjoyment of a regular drive past it, I think it might not have been a bad thing for tourism....if horrifically expensive.

It seems that there can be no historical interest to anything now, unless it has a gift shop selling fudge. Annoys me a bit.

carolt

On the positive front, Nick Clegg in the same BBC article I think is quoted as saying that Child Benefit will not be means-tested. :j

Phew. Means a few more hours actually seeing my children. :j

bendix

doire wrote: »

Well this one - Sheffield Forgemasters International Limited: £80m - was going to create 180 new jobs for a start

Oh give it a rest. It was a loan. If the Sheffield Forgemasters (whatever that is) can't build a business case which justifies a commercial loan from a bank, why should government and my tax money support them?

mbga9pgf

bendix wrote: »

Oh give it a rest. It was a loan. If the Sheffield Forgemasters (whatever that is) can't build a business case which justifies a commercial loan from a bank, why should government and my tax money support them?

Spot on. Unless they were trying to bribe the local population in a swing seat perhaps?

System

Generali wrote: »

That works out at about £450,000 per job. Are these investment bankers? Even Goldmans Sachs' employees average less than that.

Gotta love innumerate Socialists **pats leftie on head and ruffles hair**

Also key phrase being "was going to create jobs" ie unemployment will be unaffected.

Not seeing anything here that looks particularly scary, seems like a lot of potentially wasted cash has been saved.

Over 1 billion for a road...