I attended last week’s meeting about the proposed 57 Station Street development, which Council says will (might?) include 32 units for social and affordable housing, plus some shops but no parking or public toilets. Council says it is working on alternative spaces for car parks and other community uses, and apparently has made good progress in getting access to sections of the rail corridor, which is great news.
The meeting was informative about the development, especially in regard to how little is known about it. It was also informative that all councillors I heard speak were not open to listening to the concerns of all residents.
Councillors portrayed the current position as having been arrived at after community consultation, seemingly considering Council meetings as community consultation. If there was community consultation, the current community concerns show the consultation was ineffective.
Councillors said it had taken five years to get the Station Street proposal to its current stage and sought to use that as a reason now to not properly consider other sites. There is broad community support for social and affordable housing on other sites. It seems everyone expects and supports the old hospital site to be developed as social housing. There seems to be broad community support to consider redevelopment of Council’s car park – a bigger site with better access – but which Council says is unacceptable, mostly so Council has flexibility for its own future development needs.
Rather than forcing the Station Street proposal on the community, Council could readily generate great community support and goodwill, and deliver a better outcome with more housing, by reviewing the use of the Council car park site.
I did not hear anyone in the meeting speak against the need for social and affordable housing, or indeed housing in general. I did hear many people talking against opaque decision-making processes and against poor urban design.
With proper community consultation and considered urban planning, development of social and affordable housing in our community can be a model for success. We want and need social and affordable housing, as part of a welcoming and vibrant community. Forcing a poorly-designed outcome on the community is akin to snatching defeat from the jaws of victory.
For four decades The Echo has printed the stories some people loved, some people hated, and some pretended not to read. If you want us to keep telling the truth, the real truth, not the sugar-coated version. We’ll need your support to keep the presses rolling. 
