http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-humber-25117308Now I'm all for people making a living, but this all contributes to making the place look very naff. Who allows these things?
Listen. I have said this before, and may well say this again. We are not in any position to be city of culture, nor is the economy. Far from it, we are at best now in what will be understood to be the start of a sustained depression - this was the most predictable and predicted situation - far more even than 2008. Who suggest an economic plan for the city that is built around bulding loads of places for people to spend money (rather than earn) when nearly half the people in the city are inextreme financial trouble.) It isn't rocket science.
What should we have done and be doing?
I would say investing heavily - as many US cities have - in STEM industries (science, technology, engineering, mathematics). 700 jobs at a heavilysubsidised company does not cut it when comapared with the total paucity of STEM educational opportunities for people within the city. It might make a good headline for a moron. Instead those at the council will take the easy win of a city of culture bid while all the local happy clappers will applaud. No doubt they will moan about the failings of the city of culture bid in exactly the same way some of them are now suggesting pedestrianisation of the city centre has been a failure.
So be it.