Oscar Wilde said a cynic knows the price of everything but the value of nothing. Yes, public finances are very tight but in their quest to save money, both our Town and County Councils are cutting into the very fabric of our economic and social well-being.
Already one of the public toilets in town is to be closed. There are apparently serious proposals to cancel the town centre’s wonderful floral displays this summer. There is a possibility the new Library might never even open its doors. Where will it end? Do away with the litter bins? Stop street cleaning? Let the roads disintegrate completely?
These cuts are short-sighted and counter-productive. As Ledbury’s largest source of jobs and income, it is in everyone’s interest that our town centre is protected and strengthened – not subject to a slow death by a thousand cuts.
Is it beyond the wit of our Town councillors to use some imagination and effort? A one-off investment in coin-operated locks could raise enough revenue in future years to maintain the loos. The floral displays not only attract huge numbers of tourists but also make our town beautiful for our own residents – why not a few pennies on our local Council Tax, or a scheme to seek sponsorship, or a planned fund-raiser? These amenities are investments that attract paying customers to our town which support jobs.
There is no commercial logic in cutting away at the very source of your future prosperity, especially in such a fiercely competitive retail climate. Ledbury needs to hold its head up and invest in the future, not let it slip through its fingers. Hopefully residents will write to the Town Council and let them know what they want for our town, and offer ideas too.
Already one of the public toilets in town is to be closed. There are apparently serious proposals to cancel the town centre’s wonderful floral displays this summer. There is a possibility the new Library might never even open its doors. Where will it end? Do away with the litter bins? Stop street cleaning? Let the roads disintegrate completely?
These cuts are short-sighted and counter-productive. As Ledbury’s largest source of jobs and income, it is in everyone’s interest that our town centre is protected and strengthened – not subject to a slow death by a thousand cuts.
Is it beyond the wit of our Town councillors to use some imagination and effort? A one-off investment in coin-operated locks could raise enough revenue in future years to maintain the loos. The floral displays not only attract huge numbers of tourists but also make our town beautiful for our own residents – why not a few pennies on our local Council Tax, or a scheme to seek sponsorship, or a planned fund-raiser? These amenities are investments that attract paying customers to our town which support jobs.
There is no commercial logic in cutting away at the very source of your future prosperity, especially in such a fiercely competitive retail climate. Ledbury needs to hold its head up and invest in the future, not let it slip through its fingers. Hopefully residents will write to the Town Council and let them know what they want for our town, and offer ideas too.
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