Friday, February 16, 2007

Joined-up Government

at 2/16/2007 08:16:00 pm

John Reid has said he is going to build a new 700 capacity prison block at Belmarsh Category One High Security Prison. Now besides the fact that they have no planning permission for it yet (thanks to Last Boy Scout for telling me that) there is one other problem.


The map above is a satellite image of the area. Thamesmead is a key aspect of the Government's flagship Thames Gateway re-development project. Currently housing prices are falling there, against the trend in the rest of Greenwich and London as a whole. What better way to address it than to extend Britain "Gitmo" on the other side of the road?

Oh yes, and just to add to that amusement, it's close to the river on the wrong side of the Thames Barrier, so when climate change finally does take it toll (as the Government says it will) it will be underwater anyway. On the bright side I live at the top of the hill overlooking the river so I will have a sea view.


 

2 comments:

bexley cf said...
16 Feb 2007 22:54:00  

ken's ridiculous thames gateway bridge will make it easier to get to

Anonymous said...
17 Feb 2007 08:22:00  

Thamesmead has become known locally as Little Lagos and hosts the highest number of 419 frauds in the country. All the area lacks really is an oil pipeline running through it for the locals to tap into.

The bigger scandal about the Belmarsh complex remains the refusal of criminal court judges to hear cases there. It was constructed with secure courtrooms and intended to replace the Old Bailey for trails of assorted terrorists and ne'er-do-wells. Except it was clearly too far away from civilised amenities for their lordships, who insist that dangerous prisoners are brought to them at the Central Criminal Court instead. So every day, twice a day, the whole of South London is treated to an armed convoy on blues-and-twos - prison van, two range rovers full of cops cradling Heckler & Kochs, motorcycle cops and other cop cars blocking junctions as they pass - barging its way through rush hour traffic.

It would be cheaper to move their lordships by helicopter. Bringing them back into town for lunch at their clubs included.

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