‘Eyesore’ petition tops 800 names
Wednesday 3rd March 2010, 2:29PM GMT.
Rob McGhee, left, and Robin Penna. (Picture by Tom Tardif, 0916099)
MORE than 800 people so far have signed a petition aimed at eliminating ‘eyesore’ buildings on sensitive sites.
Organisers Rob McGhee and Robin Penna said they were amazed at the response, which they felt had justified their efforts.
One of their major objectives had been achieved in stimulating public debate.
‘We hope the Environment Department board will seriously consider all the views raised without dismissing them as irrelevant to their work,’ said Mr McGhee.
‘There is a large body of public concern about the issues highlighted by the petition which is continuing to gather momentum.’
The men are still keen for more people to sign the petition, contact them with their views or add comments to the This is Guernsey website. They said they had had many supportive emails, phone calls and comments.
More than 100 comments had been left on the Guernsey Press website referring to published articles, some supportive and others critical. From the responses the men received, they said there was no carte blanche dislike of modern architecture but ‘glass boxes’ were generally condemned on sensitive sites. There was concern that the planners seemed to allow ‘eyesores’ regardless of whether objections had been made or not.
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MORE than 800 people so far have signed a petition aimed at eliminating any modernisation beyond ‘Dolmen style’ buildings.
Organisers Rob McGhee and Robin Penna said they were amazed at how many bored, angry pensioners there were who would sign anything related to complaining.
The men are still keen for more people to sign the petition, contact them with their views or add comments to the This is Guernsey website. They said they had had many supportive calls, comments and something called an ‘email’.
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Please tell me where i can sign a petition in favour of these so called eyesores?
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800 signatures eh. Out of about 65,000!
As a lot of Guernsey people will simply sign any petition that is put in front of them, without really understanding what it is, even this small number of signatories means litle. It just means that the other 64 thousand odd of us don’t agree with these gentlemen or more likely, don’t really give a t*ss.
Someone recently calculated that the ratio of supporters on facebook to people who actually turned up for the march in favour of retaining the sirens worked out at 70:1. If you apply this ratio on the same basis in this case, only around 11.5 people would turn out in support of these two. The two gentlemen in question have already made their views clear, so it could reasonably be suggested that only 13.5 people have a problem with these modern buildings.
So, the final score is:
Gentlemen sporting facial hair: Nil Architecture in the 21st century: One
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I do agree that the buildings are eyesores, but the main problem is consistancy. Can I put up a glorifies greenhouse – yes… can I knock down part of a wall to make my driveway bigger… no!!
(unless you are part of the States – then of course you can)
Fair play to the Uncle Albert Appreciation Society for getting signatures but I dont think its really worth it…
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In the latest development, McDonalds have announced that they have purchased the Town Church and will be erecting the Golden Arches on top of the steeple.
Members of the Environment Dept were last seen running away from the area with 100 Big Macs and a large brown envelope – presumed to be full of £50 notes – being chased by a rowdy mob of ZZ Top lookalikes carrying a few sheets of paper with signatures on it.
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I think it’s a really good idea for these guys to start this petition, you’re saying it’s a “pensioner” thing to dislike these buildings, I’m still in education and I dislike these buildings, if I get a chance I will sign the petition.
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Now, Paul, that is what I call progress…the alternative religion; worship the Big Mac in the sky…ain’t nothing wrong in looking like a ZZ Top…didn’t the guy who came down from the mountain carrying the ten commandments have a touch of ZZ about him?
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There’s enough fast food acolytes on the island to ensure at least a few devotees at the church of the golden arches, Vic. I’m not too sure whether the real Moses looked much like Billy Gibbons though, but Charlton Heston certainly did in the Hollywood version – perhaps he could come over as a VIP guest to open their latest “temple”? ;-)
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Heston as VIP? Would that be Very Inactive Person as he is now deceased…but unfortunately has not taken the American love of guns with him..still we digress here, Paul..the topic is architetcure and we appear to be building our own little house here…
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oh, gentlemen, please don’t stop. Your musings are infinitely more interesting than the damp squib that is this petition. Or would that be damp squid? Not sure what the expression is. A squid would be something rather limp and soggy and a squib apparently is a small firework that hisses a bit and then goes pop. I think either would do.
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Glad we’ve brightened up your day mel :-)
Of course you’re right, Vic – Mr Heston is no longer with us – silly me! Still, perhaps they could play his rendition of Moses in Cecil B de Mille’s version of The Ten Commandments at the opening of the golden arch church? The part when he smashes the tablets on the golden calf would seem appropriate in the context, don’t you think?!
Oops, I’m digressing again – sorry all :-) Back to the eyesores…..
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I am not against anyone appealing but I do think that what you are calling eye sores is ridiculous. Guernsey is very lucky that we have allowed modern builds which are sympathetic to the island. If you look at St Helier there is an example of poor decision making and awful architecture. However here, we have some amazing architects like Jamie Falla who create wonderful houses that allow contemporary living in a stylish manner.
I agree that people in Guernsey will sign a petition because they like a moan and have nothing better to do.
I feel you are barking up the wrong tree and should concentrate your efforts on issues like Suez!
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Richard in your opinion they are wonderful houses in my opinion they are awful, I will not sign the petition because I think Guernsey is petitioned out and do not want this lovely island ruled by them ,but saying we like a moan and have nothing better to do is quite offensive, I have plenty to do and wish I had more hours in a day. And on the point of Suez, we have had a decision made for us lets move on and get behind it.End of.
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…tablets broken on the golden calf? Is that anything like crushing asprins on the thigh of a Cuban cigar roller….or have I lost the plot again?!
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@Richard
“However here, we have some amazing architects like Jamie Falla who create wonderful houses that allow contemporary living in a stylish manner”
Sorry but I think the average Guernseyman couldn’t give a stuff about living in in a “stylish manner”, thats reserved for mr & mrs english banker/accountant/lawyer etc.
Pity that local young couples can’t even afford a flat these days.
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and there’s the xenophobia. And the person prepared to speak on behalf of the “guernseyman”- 2 birds with one stone enigma!
I’m an average Guernsey person, I would definitely aspire to contemporary and stylish lifestyle and am not in the tiniest bit offended by seeing it in the Guernsey landscape.
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There are really only two ways to run a planning system: either politicians make quite subjective and personal judgements about what they like and dislike, which was how the system operated in Guernsey until not very long ago, or professional planners make judgements with reference to very broad policy directions, which tends to be the case more and more today, as I understand it, and especially since society has become more litigious.
The first model is more democratic and has the advantage of decision-makers being held to account via the ballot box. It is also less consistent, open to claims of unfairness, and less robust when challenged legally.
The second model provides unelected and unaccountable civil servants with significant powers to determine the island’s landscape, but decisions are perhaps more coherent, objective and defensible.
Personally, I think I’d rather live in a society where as many decisions as possible rest with those whose positions rely on securing a democratic mandate to govern, but this probably makes me anachronistic. One of the great trends of the modern era is the erosion of the role of politics and democracy in areas of activity as diverse as industry, planning, utilities, agriculture, even war.
In reality, whether decisions are made by politicians or planners, what we used to know as the IDC will always face the same problem, so much so that it’s almost a cliché in planning: beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
I cannot abide most of the buildings at Admiral Park, and I agree with the person who dubbed the square thing at the bottom of The Avenue ‘The Great Lubyanka’. Whereas I think the building a few doors down along the Esplanade is exquisite. However, a friend of my wife who has some professional expertise assures me I know nothing about these matters and feels exactly the opposite about all the buildings mentioned. Who is to say which of us is right?
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I think the town sea front needs to be modernised, yes the buildings there are a part of history, but so are the sirens. That didn’t stop the states!
The town sea front needs to look appealing because for many people visiting the island that is there first view of Guernsey. This area could be altered to look similar to the market, that area looks really good and is very tastefully done. They’ve modernised it whilst still keeping the old style architecture.
There are many things that they could do to improve the sea front.
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