Welcoming?

Having just read (again) the opening idealistic aims of the Southern Gateway plan, I note that the ambition is to make the area 'Welcoming to people arriving in the city' whilst 'protecting our important heritage' all very worthy until one considers those arriving by bus. It seems that these unfortunate souls are going to be dumped at the roadside and left to their own devices? Not much of a welcome.

Another of the noble ambitions is 'protecting our important heritage'.

Does this not include contributions made to our architecture during the twentieth century? Or does the fact that they are modern reduce their significance and importance?

Welcoming people to Chichester might include a well-appointed bus station incorporating a visitor information centre, a warm and comfortable waiting room and refreshment facilities.

I note that there is a proposal to close the Basin Road level crossing; an excellent idea which would enable the bus station and garage to be unified on to a single site. The extra space would overcome the often stated problem of the bus station being too small for modern buses, and not having capacity for charging vehicles if and when full electrification might come about.

Our council is aware that we are in a 'climate emergency' yet they seem intent on demolishing perfectly solid and architecturally valuable buildings rather than exploring ways in which they might (at considerably less expense) be modernised and improved.

Demolishing buildings and replacing them with new is a highly polluting activity which should, if we are serious about our climate breakdown, be an option of last resort.

I wrote at the end of last year to our new council leader, making some of these points, and hoping that a change of leadership might bring some more climate awareness to the decision making process. So far I have had neither acknowledgement or reply. Business as usual then?