Wednesday, October 07, 2009

Hard facts to show the net benefits of [possibly] having a bit of World Cup football in Bristol: where are they??

Just spent a bit of time trying to spot some credible hard facts that demonstrate that [possibly] having a bit of World Cup football in Bristol for a short period many years hence (along with a new BCFC stadium and associated development in Ashton Vale and a huge Tesco on Ashton Gate...) would give significant net social, economic and environmental benefits. They are very, very hard to come by, though hype, trivia and illusion are very easy to find!!

For me its a case of concrete and long term disbenefits from loss of green belt (plus a big stimulus to further loss of green belt) and impacts on local shopping and environment, compared with benefits that are merely possibilities under certain circumstances - and they are pretty uncertain and transient in nature. Of course little or nothing of what is planned matches the sustainable development all politicians say they are signed up to!!

At the end of yet another story which, completely irrationally, recognises no downsides at all ('Hosting event 'can only be a good thing' ', Post, Oct 6) promoting Bristols bid to be a host city for the World Cup in 2018 was a reference to a You Tube video by Bristol City Council Leader Barbara Janke, so I took a look (see below).




The material on this site http://www.bristol2018.net/ is equally flimsy hype and trivia, which leaves me thinking what it is we are actually supposed to be strongly supporting, apart form the illusion whipped up! I've been told that there are even people around who think the whole World Cup could be staged here!!




1 comment:

  1. "flimsy hype and trivia, which leaves me thinking what it is we are actually supposed to be strongly supporting, apart form the illusion whipped up!"

    It's a case of Leni Riefenstahl and Flying High the Flag feelgood bx, methink.

    ReplyDelete

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