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[Talisker]

Let's have a debate on the progress and future of the government backed regeneration company responsible for Sunderland.

Are you satisfied with what the ARC have acheived since 2002? If not, what is the best solution?

Fire away!

[sterock85]

I don't really know enough about them to comment too much.

They seem to have alot of good ideas drawn on paper, Hears hoping that they WILL happen soon.

[North East 4 Ever]

Deleted.

[Featureresearch]

Need comments and opinions on the new town of Peterlee for university project.

Thanks.

[OldNewtown]

Where do you want to start?

A maltese fishing village on the North East coast of England!

A blank canvas, to start with, and the town planners still managed to muck it up!

A town centre that is strangeld by the road system with little space left to expand.

A town centre that shuts down at 5PM as each estate has its own pub and as such it lacks a focal centre.

A town lacking in ambition with huge swaithes of certain estates given over to the welfare culture.

Industrial estates built on land within adjacent parishes.

Petty jealousy from existing mining communities that restricted investment. I cite the case that the local leisure centre was called Easington District Leisure Centre rather than Peterlee Leisure Centre. Petty I know but it demonstrates the point.

Alternatively you could look at some of the good points

The housing stock is slowly being improved, though massive investment still needed, the flat roof is virtually banished.

There are open spaces and a green feel to major routes around the town.

There has been major investment in local schools and colleges whilst there is now a local hospital / drop in centre.

Overall the good outweighs the bad but as an exewrcise in town planning it cannot be called a planned success, then again the plans changed that often perhaps one of them could.

[denm]

Many years ago Peterlee would always get a bad press ---mainly because of it's Housing stock, --the flat roofs were forever causing problems, --- I'm not certain, ---but I think these days they have mainly been remodeled, --and are sound properties now, ----btw, ---does anyone know, if the Argus Butterfly is still going?

[OldNewtown]

Originally Posted by denm

Many years ago Peterlee would always get a bad press ---mainly because of it's Housing stock, --the flat roofs were forever causing problems, --- I'm not certain, ---but I think these days they have mainly been remodeled, --and are sound properties now, ----btw, ---does anyone know, if the Argus Butterfly is still going?

Argus was closed for a short while but is now trading again.
Biggest claim to fame was that Led Zeppelin performed there, obviously before they were famous.

[denm]

Originally Posted by OldNewtown

Argus was closed for a short while but is now trading again.
Biggest claim to fame was that Led Zeppelin performed there, obviously before they were famous.

Whats it like in their now ?, ---I was only in the place a couple of times, and that was years ago.

[OldNewtown]

Originally Posted by denm

Whats it like in their now ?, ---I was only in the place a couple of times, and that was years ago.

Sorry i have not been in there for years so cannot help though from what o hear it is now just an estate pub.

[JetStreak]

The major problem with Peterlee is the devastating Asda that dominates the town centre and the poor quality of the other blocks and shopping nearby.

Imo it needs flattening and starting again. It's a shame because it should have been developed to attract high earners looking for good links to commute to Durham, Teeside and Sunderland. You've got the A181 to Durham and the A1, the A19 running N-S

[Tyr]

Whats wrong with flat roofs?
I live in one and its not much bother- iirc back in the 90s there was a issue with having to replace the felt on many of the houses in the estate but otherwise its sound.

[denm]

Originally Posted by Tyr

Whats wrong with flat roofs?
I live in one and its not much bother- iirc back in the 90s there was a issue with having to replace the felt on many of the houses in the estate but otherwise its sound.

There's nothing wrong with flat roofs, if they are weather proof, ----I think there was a fault in the design of the Houses that were Built in Peterlee, ---and the construction was poor, ----and in the 70s there was a great many of the Houses where water was seeping through --causing problems like damp, ---so eventually I think the only remedy was to convert the flat roofs into pitched roofs, -- I'm not sure how many Houses were converted though.

[horokeio]

I suspect it's the overall structural integrity and quality of build associated with houses with flat rooftops, rather than the rooftops themselves. There are many decent houses with flat rooftops - there are quite a few examples from the 1930s in the Fulwell area - but overall they do tend to suffer a poor reputation, be they in Doxford Park or new towns such as Washington and Peterlee.

[denm]

Originally Posted by horokeio

I suspect it's the overall structural integrity and quality of build associated with houses with flat rooftops, rather than the rooftops themselves. There are many decent houses with flat rooftops - there are quite a few examples from the 1930s in the Fulwell area - but overall they do tend to suffer a poor reputation, be they in Doxford Park or new towns such as Washington and Peterlee.

Yeah, ---back in the the day, --- construction of Houses in Peterlee was said to be of poor quality, ----I'm sure I read somewhere there was also a design fault, --anyway,-- I remember at the time, --that those Houses in Peterlee, were Built very quickly, --they flew up, --but there were many problems afterwards.

[OldNewtown]

Found a link that gives some pictures of Peterlee's early history

http://ppparchive.durham.gov.uk/phot...?area=Peterlee

Hope this works!

Sorry but I am a real technophobe!

If not it's on the Durham County Council Past and Present Archive - Peterlee

Some interesting photo's may spark a few memories and be of use to the OP

[denm]

Originally Posted by OldNewtown

Found a link that gives some pictures of Peterlee's early history

http://ppparchive.durham.gov.uk/phot...?area=Peterlee

Hope this works!

Sorry but I am a real technophobe!

If not it's on the Durham County Council Past and Present Archive - Peterlee

Some interesting photo's may spark a few memories and be of use to the OP

Yeah, --that link is working fine mate, ---as you said, this will be good information for the op, --cheers.

[sterock85]

I posted some Sunderland photos on this thread here:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...9#post66033169

And have been queried about the 'cottages' in Sunderland such as those near Park Lane/Ashbrooke.....and that could also include those around Roker...

[denm]

Originally Posted by sterock85

I posted some Sunderland photos on this thread here:

http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showth...9#post66033169

And have been queried about the 'cottages' in Sunderland such as those near Park Lane/Ashbrooke.....and that could also include those around Roker...

Should post them on the Sunderland/Durham thread sterock, cheers.

[sterock85]

I posted the photos that were already posted on here

[denm]

Originally Posted by sterock85

I posted the photos that were already posted on here

I feel shan now, cheers though