Mini model with huge drawbacks

Another letter about Chatham’s Dynamic Bus Station from Tracy Coutts of Chatham published in the Opinion column of the Medway Messenger on Friday 12th February 2010.

I went to see the council’s mock up of the new dynamic bus station on public display at Gun Wharf last week.
I don’t know quite what I was expecting, but perhaps the council has rather “bigged up” the dynamic bit?
After all the hype, there was I thinking there would be a grand exhibition with lights and a fanfare or maybe even a full-size bus shelter or two to try out.
Imagine my disappointment when all I could find was a titchy, tiny model on a side table, how sad.

This miniscule model with its little green lollipop trees reminded me of the decorations that you put on Christmas cakes.
But even though it is so small in size you won’t need a magnifying glass to see what the model lacks.
Isn’t it supposed to be a bus station, but where are all those queuing people and buses waiting to go out?

Now you may sneer, but perhaps this is one thing the council has got right, their future of Chatham in the future is of a ghost town.
Think about all the digging up and knocking down, tarmacing over and shops moving on.
Even if we do have 21st Century bus stops, who indeed will want to come here and what would they be coming here for?
Does the council really care, I have to wonder?

But I’d bet by the time we start looking for someone to blame, the architects of Chatham Town’s misfortune will all be long gone.