A SIMPLE AND ELEGANT SOLUTION ?
Our parish here in deepest Kent is divided into two really - there`s one side of the By-pass and the other side. The side we live in has been well established for many years - the church, pub, shop and the relatively `new` housing development which has been here for getting on for 50 years now. You might say that this side is the heart of the village. The other side is currently the subject of a large housing development on the site of what used to be a `hospital.`
A respected historical website tells us that "The hospital was built as a colony for mental defective persons by Kent County Council in 1936 utilising an existing estate and the manor house. It housed up to 1200 patients, but it was wound down due to Care in the Community and closed in 1996. It laid dormant until the land and buildings were sold to developers." (The development gave rise to speculation about the names for the new streets which might `commemorate` the history of the site - various suggestions were made including The Nutters, Bonkers Close, Mental Avenue - but all were rejected in favour of a more `marketable` description.)
The reason for explaining all this is to report that the football pitches on the new development have just recently been invaded by our travelling friends, complete with their caravans, trucks and assorted vehicles and the varied amounts of rubbish and mayhem which accompanies their visits. Swift action is being taken, however, to make their stay as short as possible but in a way it makes a change for us on this side of the parish, as we have had numerous invasions over here over many years until last year when finally sufficient `barriers` were erected to keep our open spaces free from such incursions.
As a county, Kent has a history of invasions - from the Roman legions to the present day incursion of migrants making the perilous journey crossing the channel to get to the promised land. In recent days their numbers have increased even more alarmingly - over 4,000 have arrived so far this year alone. The Government`s reaction to growing public concern is, predictably, to hold an inquiry. At the moment our Members of Parliament are on their summer break and so any inquiry won`t even begin until September at the earliest, so goodness knows how long it will take for them to form their recommendations, get them agreed and implemented, if ever.
But maybe that inquiry could come up with a simple and elegant solution to the `traveller` problem at the same time. Surely it makes sense to treat the travellers the same way as the migrants to our shores. Offer them free housing, free health care, cash to spend each and every week and then maybe they might stop travelling? Seems simple and elegant to me, although I also recall H.L. Mencken suggesting that for every complex problem there is a simple solution that doesn`t work.
A respected historical website tells us that "The hospital was built as a colony for mental defective persons by Kent County Council in 1936 utilising an existing estate and the manor house. It housed up to 1200 patients, but it was wound down due to Care in the Community and closed in 1996. It laid dormant until the land and buildings were sold to developers." (The development gave rise to speculation about the names for the new streets which might `commemorate` the history of the site - various suggestions were made including The Nutters, Bonkers Close, Mental Avenue - but all were rejected in favour of a more `marketable` description.)
The reason for explaining all this is to report that the football pitches on the new development have just recently been invaded by our travelling friends, complete with their caravans, trucks and assorted vehicles and the varied amounts of rubbish and mayhem which accompanies their visits. Swift action is being taken, however, to make their stay as short as possible but in a way it makes a change for us on this side of the parish, as we have had numerous invasions over here over many years until last year when finally sufficient `barriers` were erected to keep our open spaces free from such incursions.
As a county, Kent has a history of invasions - from the Roman legions to the present day incursion of migrants making the perilous journey crossing the channel to get to the promised land. In recent days their numbers have increased even more alarmingly - over 4,000 have arrived so far this year alone. The Government`s reaction to growing public concern is, predictably, to hold an inquiry. At the moment our Members of Parliament are on their summer break and so any inquiry won`t even begin until September at the earliest, so goodness knows how long it will take for them to form their recommendations, get them agreed and implemented, if ever.
But maybe that inquiry could come up with a simple and elegant solution to the `traveller` problem at the same time. Surely it makes sense to treat the travellers the same way as the migrants to our shores. Offer them free housing, free health care, cash to spend each and every week and then maybe they might stop travelling? Seems simple and elegant to me, although I also recall H.L. Mencken suggesting that for every complex problem there is a simple solution that doesn`t work.
No comments:
Post a Comment