CITY SOLUTIONS
By E. Morgan

It takes a down-to-earth WestEnder to bring a bit of common sense to those matters that have been causing the citizens of Derby to become hot under the collar. If you want to know where the new bus station should be sited, all you have to do is to go to the top of the monstrous new multi-storey car park and look over to cars parked on land between Traffic Street and Liversage Street. That's where the bus station ought to be built. It's handy for the railway station, it would be just across from the new shopping centre and it would keep the engines away from that most precious of natural features - the river which runs through the city.

And what about the river and the idea that swanky bars and clubs might be built next to it? Well, as I walk past the city's new pubs and bars on my way to do a bit of Sunday morning shopping, my experience is to expect pools of vomit, kebab remains and a tide of cigarette packets and chip papers. So, no, that idea is not good enough to match up to the beauty of the Derwent. Whatever it looks like as an artist's impression, the reality will be a let-down. Peace and tranquillity are what we need there, and the possibility for us Derby folk to sit and contemplate the beauty of the scene even if we haven't a lot of money to spend. So, it's obvious, isn't it?

The new library has to be sited there. I know a city library for the 21st century won't bring in as much revenue, but there are some things you can't put a price on. And then the Museum and Art Gallery could expand into the Central Library and all that stuff that has to be kept in storage could come out at last. It's all about making connections. But making connections isn't the council's strong point, is it? In the name of Connecting Derby, the council wants to disconnect Brook Street from the Inner Ring Road. What kind of connection is that? It means that all those motorists who are deprived of using that route will add to the queues waiting at all the traffic lights at Five Lamps or on Agard Street.

Looking out from the Assembly Rooms towards Pride Park, I can only wonder what our councillors are doing to our city. First, the monstrosity of a car park on the Cockpit, then attempts to eat into Bass's Rec and swiftly on to the planned over-development called Riverlights. Finally, they want to fill in the one large open space left in the city centre with the new Quad centre. Derby needs development, and it needs a new arts centre with stunning architecture. But it doesn't need this kind of ill-conceived overdevelopment in the Market Place. There are many areas of the city that are crying out for this kind of facility to rejuvenate them.

A Quad centre in Duckworth Square, Cathedral Road or Full Street (to give but a few examples) would be far more appropriate, and would offer the opportunity to create an open setting for what should be a stunning piece of architecture. Come on Derby City Council, you want us to be a top 10 city - go and look at a few of the great ones around the world. You will see that it is a combination of excellent architecture, superb cultural facilities and open space that makes them great. Steve Curr