Don’t be short-sighted (From Durham Times)

Don’t be short-sighted

3:41pm Thursday 26th April 2012 in Leader

AN assessment of the contribution made by Durham City Vision (DCV) during its short life has to begin and end with judgments about the Heart of the City Project.

But, that was not the be-all and end-all of the organisation’s existence.

It was heavily involved in other projects. That a number never came to fruition cannot be blamed on DCV. Its life was cut short by recession and the consequent public spending squeeze.

Necklace Park, a plan to create a 12-mile park along the banks of the River Wear, and the improvement of North Road are among the projects that never got off the ground.

But there were some significant achievements nevertheless. The work done with the cathedral on the Peninsula with the opening of the World Heritage Site visitor centre and the continuing work on the river banks are projects worth celebrating.

The debate about Heart of City, the flagship scheme, will continue. The Durham Times is on record as saying the final result is not the disaster that some people have claimed it to be. However, that is not the same as suggesting the unfinished scheme costing £5.25m represents value for money. It manifestly isn’t.

Like its primary funding source, One North East, DCV is now a relic of another era. Some may not mourn its passing in its original form, but it should not be written off completely.