Landscape (From Penarth Times)

Landscape

REGARDING your front page article on January 27 (£6m makeover).

Who are Decourcy Ltd anyway and why is a 'Bristol based development company' taking such an interest in our little Victorian backwater?

I am willing to put money (although not as much as they could doubtless afford) on the fact that they are not philanthropists with an interest in art, history, culture and/or the environment.

Not content, it seems, with turning the old baths into a 'luxury residential development' the eye of Steven Fear appears now to have swivelled in the direction of the promenade.

Accompanying the frankly scary proposal to 'redesign the whole stretch' (I can feel a multi-story car park with windows coming on) are what appear to be thinly veiled threats in relation to filling the buildings with whatever tenants he can find (crack-dealers? arsonists?) should his proposals be rejected.

And how come the Rabaiotti family appear to be members of the Decourcy fan club?

Would it really be so unrealistic financially or outrageous economically to attempt a sympathetic restoration/renovation of the beautiful Victorian frontage?

Surely it wouldn't put off a lot of prospective businesses to be housed in something that wasn't made of concrete and glass?

And shouldn't the council help with costs if it were as expensive as all that? After all it is part of our heritage.

It's one thing building on formerly derelict or industrial land as in the case of the Bay' (whatever you think of the architecture).

But it's another thing entirely to knock down a whole lot of Victorian sea-front buildings, however dilapidated, and replace them with a modern design. It would not fit with the landscape, history or atmosphere' of the town.

Amanda JM Lyons

Ivy St

Penarth

Via email