When was the last time you took a good long walk around our
upper town; wandered the narrow lanes and passageways, ended up in a dead end
or inside someone’s patio? Let’s face it, nowadays the bulk of pedestrian
traffic comes from the people that live there or tourists wandering down from
the Moorish Castle. Our old town is a gem but one that needs to be polished and
it is starting to happen albeit slowly; new families are moving in, old
buildings restored plus a hotel and some cafes are soon to open. It is well
worth having a wander up there, relive some of one’s childhood and discover an
urban zone full of character.
There was a time when the Calle Comedia and its surrounding streets bustled with life, shops,
kiosks, bars, street parties, kids playing on the steps, old folk sitting in
their doorways. We used to have street sellers blowing their whistles to sell
their fish, bread and cakes. Sounds idyllic doesn’t it? There is no reason why
we can’t bring that Golden Age back. The recent surge of Government tenders has
seen some rapid redevelopment. This was led by the excellent transformation of
our old hospital into a new school and this has kick-started a whole tranche of
sensitive urban renewal. Residential areas need facilities like schools, small
shops, cafes and community centres. We want to discourage car-use as much as
possible so if people have a decent bus service and amenities nearby they will
revert back to a time when everything was to-hand, local shop-keepers and
neighbours interacted and that social element brought with it a good quality of
life.
Anyone who watched the recent 3-part series on GBC would
have enjoyed an in-depth analysis of the current state of our old town and what
can be done plus what is being done to improve the situation. Twenty five years
ago when the Westside reclamation began it heralded a new era of home ownership
which in-turn saw people move away from the damp and dilapidated buildings they
had understandably grown tired of. It was then that a comprehensive urban
renewal strategy should have been started but sadly it was all left to rot and
stagnate and became an area that nobody wanted to live in anymore. The bars and
shops closed and today all we have left in the form of entertainment is the
Moorish Castle Estate social club which is a bit of a schlep to get to even if
you live in Road to the Lines.
What is a challenge for developers and for Government is
infrastructure. Many of the electricity cables and water pipes need to be replaced;
the drainage system has to be able to cope with heavy rains. Man-holes and
underground conduits have to be opened up and modernised in order to take the
loadings necessary for all the new premises, which these days invariably
involves air-con and other energy-zapping gadgets of modern life. When you look
at the facades of most old buildings they are covered in a maze of wires and pipes,
satellite cables have been thrown across from building to building; many of
these are obsolete but they have never been removed and the overall effect
looks like a shanty town. The usual format is that someone does up their
building but is left with these wall mounted pipes as in order to bury them it
involves excavating an entire street and the costs are completely prohibitive.
This is where Government must come up with a long-term plan and a holistic
approach to the whole area. What we cannot have is a free-for-all where
inappropriate towers are erected in order to satisfy the pockets of developers
who will never live there. The old town is awash with empty flats, we don’t
need any more of them, we only have to restore what is there. This is again where
Government must implement a solid plan. Colour schemes, retained architectural
features and the correct windows should be set out in a blue print and persons
who wish to invest in the area need to be made aware of the rules.
We cannot leave the refurbishment of our upper town solely
to the developers; we must also make smaller dwellings available for
individuals who can easily carry out a simple repair and face-lift. It is the
latter category who will move in quickly and turn an empty flat into a home and
become part of the growing community. It is the people who make a place vibrant
and the sooner we get them back the sooner the area will spring into life. Our
upper town could be an area we are all proud of and all visit, let’s make it
happen.
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