Tuesday 16 March 2010

Rock Walk, will it ever reopen?

THE reopening of Torquay's £3million Rock Walk project is facing a delay.

Unforeseen technical problems in creating new cliff face pathways look likely to push back the date, which was planned for June.

The above words are just a couple of lines from an item in the Herald Express. Last week as I drove past Rock Walk with a coach load of visitors I assured them that if they came back in the summer the Blue Wall would be gone and they would be able to walk up the cliff face and admire the view of the Bay from the soon to be completed walkways. (Should have known better.)

It seems that the supports that were being placed into the cliff face ended up in a hollow space and would have been no support what so ever. Councillor Lewis, the self elected deputy mayor of Torquay explained, "We have got to try to make sure we do it right, even if it costs more and takes longer.

I have a feeling Clr Lewis must hate the words "Rock Walk.". Which is why he keeps calling it Royal Terrace Gardens when everyone else calls it the mess on the sea front. Will he spend the rest of his life having nightmares about the place? Or maybe it will just go over his head.

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

As you appear to be so active in the community regarding certain issues perhaps you could bring pressure to bear please?

This is a major blow, and absolute disgrace. I'm sick of all vision and talk by this council's top officials but little actually happening that brings anything to fruition. They are absolutely ruining our area and constantly trotting out pathetic excuses for their (not previous generations) inefficiency and incompetence.

This latest major problem must have been known about for months and yet only now are we, the community, told. Indeed the serious question when talk from our so-called leaders is that it is an open-ended problem is when will this jewel in Torbay's crown ever re-open?

Thus given your active campaigning on certain matters please can you lobby to have immediate action for:
1) all the horrible blue fencing that has been in the town's prime location at great cost (for it is supported by a mass of hired scaffolding) for almost two years removed.
2)the road's four lanes re-marked for traffic and parking and re-opened,
3) the flower beds immediately adjacent to the level path a few foot above the pavement re-planted and opened to the public forthwith.

The pathway up to the top of Rock Walk can wait. Let us at least get something constructive done for residents and visitors this spring and summer.

Lord Hutton said...

It's geology. How many people know geology? Leave the Councillor alone: he has to face the press. And no, there wont be 4 lanes reopened to traffic: there never were 4 lanes: 2 were parking. It will be reordered to make parking easier and traffic flow better. Once the cliff has been fixed.
Anonymous is typical of the Mr Angry brigade who rant to the HE without understanding the real world, imagining that everyone is against them and that the council doesnt have real people working hard to sort things out.

Anonymous said...

i surely enjoy your writing style, very unique.
don't give up and keep creating since it just well worth to look through it.
impatient to see a lot more of your own posts, regards!

retired driver Peter said...

I do wish people who call themselves annonymous would identify themselves rather than have no namee . It does not have to be your real name - just make one up for example 'Bill no 1@ or 'opinionated' so that the rest of us can know whom we are replying to. I dont want to know your name or contact detail but it would make life a lttle more interesting if we regular reaqders could differentiate one anon from another,

Anonymous said...

Sorry M'Lord.I seem to have touched a raw nerve within you! It may be geology but the whole Rock Walk saga is sheer incompetence with a considerable waste of public money on prolonged hire charges. If I were to manage such a project in this way in my profession I'd have been thrown out long ago - minus any golden handshake! And no, I've never written to the Herald Express, nor do I feel the world is against me! As for the real world be in no doubt I've more than experienced my fair share of it so I really wonder who it is that should be getting real?