You’ll know the virtually derelict former dry-cleaners shop and building on the A30 service road. That’s the one with wire mesh outside to catch bits of stonework when they fall off. Well, just inside one window have appeared bags of ‘Postcrete’. That’s the ready-mixed concrete used to fix fence posts in place. What’s more, there are half a dozen empty bags of the stuff amongst the rubbish in the other window. They haven’t been there for more than a few days, we think.
What’s happening there after years of decay?
But other things may be stirring along that stretch of road. Remember Jackpot Slots? Long gone, of course. However, several people were spotted entering the shop yesterday – we got the impression that they were looking around. To buy? To rent? We may find out.
The Jackpot Slots building is owned by the Mall. As it happens, you may have read in the Eye very recently that an offer of around £88.5 million has been made for the Mall. The same thing was printed in this week’s local newspaper; we were impressed by the paper’s insight. Although much of what was written is actually available on the internet, the article refers to ‘rumours’ that the borough council is involved in the deal. We don’t know of any such rumours, and we wonder whether the article is based on something more definite. Have YOU come across any such rumours yourself?
Talking about borough council deals, the Eye really ought to make an offer to the council. Yet again we warned a driver who had just parked in that ‘permits only’ section of the service road. He drove further down the road just before an enforcement officer appeared; the officer started to write a notice to put on the windscreen of another infringing car. So, as our action probably deprived the council of a £35 (we think that’s right) fine, here’s the offer. If the council pays the Eye £25 a day, we’ll refrain from warning drivers in future. A win-win (except for the drivers) situation. But it’s a farce, of course. The council’s priority ought to be to stop people from parking there. Sticking penalty notices on so many cars – mostly parked there by mistake – highlights that it’s not using the right approach.
The Camberley Eye 
Perhaps the ‘ Postcrete ‘ is for erecting more posts to highlight parking restrictions!!
I suspect not, Mike! But it’s all still there a day later.
Welcome to Camberley High Street and the A30 !…Will the council ever tell us what is happening ……probably not in my lifetime….One thing I do know is that they love eyesores.
I don’t think ‘the council’ is a natural communicator. And sometimes when they do communicate they do it very badly. I’ve written something about the recent ‘Heathscene’, but I’m not sure whether to publish it.
Would go for it David…! you are a gentleman and for sure David Ivison agrees that you are …
The Council will insist on denying that the parking restrictions along the A30 service road are there primarily to raise revenue and I will insist that they continue to tell porkies. It would be interesting to know what proportion of the Enforcement Officers’ time is spent patrolling that particular stretch of road.
I can’t answer your point about the proportion of their time, but they’re there quite often. Arguably, that means they’re doing their job diligently. But it’s the wrong job.
I hope that the council isn’t involved in an £88.5 million deal to buy The Mall. I very much doubt that there is that much money swilling around in the council’s reserves, which means that they intend to borrow money that we, the residents, will have to repay.
There is also the question of the competence of the council to manage such an enormous commercial project – I am not aware that they have the experience to manage such a venture. The Atrium didn’t go smoothly – I think it took more than quarter of a century to develop after the council compulsorily purchased the houses that then became a car park. Having said that, the car park probably generated more revenue than The Atrium has!
Seriously, if The Mall doesn’t think the time is right to expand and develop the town centre, we residents should be very afraid that our council thinks they know more about the commercial viability of the project than an expert in the field. Do any of us trust our locally elected councillors to make such a huge decision to invest our money in such a venture?
Sarah, the latest suggestion is that the ‘deal’ is more or less a ‘done deal’, though it’s not yet finalised. The identity of the buyer hasn’t been published, but it doesn’t seem to be the borough council. (But it wouldn’t surprise me if the council bought some of the dog-ends of the property; some of the old Allders property in the London Road Block for example. That at least would be a step towards regenerating the LRB.)
Will we ever know if the Council and Councillors ever read the Eye? And take note of course re comments from the rate payers!
Some do read the Eye, I think, Shirley. Which I find somewhat embarrassing. The Eye does keep ‘knocking’ the borough council, which isn’t a very happy state of affairs, and it can’t create a very positive impression. But I try to make sure that the ‘knocking’ is based on facts, and on nothing else.
I do not know why you feel it is embarrassing David as am sure you check your facts…please please lets hope everyone keeps knocking the council. and keeping up with the EYE……and all keeps putting their points of view…this SHBC is not listening to the rate payers IMHO
Many thanks for your kind words, Shirley. I appreciate them.