Dear Hatfield Review,

Earlier this week you announced that the long awaited town centre redevelopment will be starting on 26th November. Yesterday the WH Times followed your lead and reported Rupert Wood, of developer St.Modwen's, as saying such indefinable things like, "...works will commence in the next couple of weeks to begin building Phase One...." Also, "...the start of enabling works which will include site mobilisation and the carrying out of diversion works"

All of this suggests that the start of Phase One does not include any actual construction work; it's all about starting the beginning of the commencement. But saying this a year and a half after they demolished the Bill Salmon Centre doesn't fill me with any confidence at all. These statements, I feel, are deliberately ambiguous in nature.

So, Mr. Wood, when will you actually be laying any bricks? 

We then read that Council Leader John Dean says, with typical buffoonery, "Hatfield has remained a key priority for this council..." Where is the evidence for that then, Mr.Dean?

In the meanwhile, I'm half expecting to see just a gang of high profile workmen parading around in Hi-Viz jackets for a couple of weeks, posing for some publicity shots for the borough council's magazine before disappearing for a few more months. 

I do hope I'm wrong though.

 

Yours, Robert Ward