Burton In DepthIssue 1. May 5th

Burton’s Regeneration - We look at the Bargates and Andressey Passage plans

Burton and Uttoxeter MP Andrew Griffiths

Inside this months issue

In Pictures - The Octagon’s Easter Animal Farm

Contents

Bargates and Andressey Passage regeneration plans

A Word From the Ed.Welcome to the launch issue of Burton In Depth, a magazine about the ins and outs of Burton. We are small, but aim to provide regular features such as Getting to Know... where we find out about the professional and personal lives of Burton’s high flyers, and Features on issues that matter to Burtonians. With this issue, a questionnaire’s will be provided for feedback so we can work our-selves to be helpful to you.

Getting to Know... Andrew Griffiths

Regulars may 5, 2011, page 3

In Pictures - The Easter Animal Farm

WITH THE green light given for the development of Andressey Passage, what will become of that other eyesore of Burton-on-Trent, the much debated Bargates? East Staffordshire Bor-ough Council are keen to have the site rejuvenated as part of the Growth Point Programme. What with the views over the Wash-lands, the weir in the River Trent, and the proximity to the town cen-tre, it is one the largest and most significant redevelopment sites in the town, but for years it has been an eyesore, and for years expecta-tions over plans have been raised and subsequently dashed. At one stage in the pro-posed redevelopment of site, which is located at the northern end of High Street, discussions were underway with the super-store Tesco, to build a large store on the site, which has since been moved to Hawkins Lane. The current plans are to have construction work begin on the area by Christmas 2011, even though Tesco is yet to give up their ownership. The Council say that the overall vision is to deliver ‘out-standing high quality mixed use development’ which encourages

‘access to and enjoyment of the riverside’, with three potential op-tions for the use of the site. Option one includes a re-tail led development, consisting of a large store with smaller shops, restaurants and parking, option two is a mixed use development with shops, offices, apartments and hotel, with parking, and op-tion three is a residential scheme, with small shops, apartment and residential blocks which will include town houses and pent-houses, a café and parking. When put to a public con-sultation, the preferred option was indeed for option three. Andrew Griffiths, MP for Burton-on-Trent said that the development of the site is ‘funda-mental to the future of Burton.’ “We’ve got one of nicest spots of any town anywhere in the country looking over the Wash-lands, and yet for years it’s been a

crumbling eyesore. “The right development will rejuvenate the town and make it a haven for people coming for a night out and will bring a lot of prosperity to the town.” With the long coming discussions over Bargates again looking close to a conclusion, it will be one of a spate of develop-ments which are happening in Burton, with the Midland Grain Warehouse off Derby Road being given the green light to become a 68-bedroom hotel, and the appli-cation for a proposed Debenhams store in Burton-on-Trent, there are high hopes for the rejuvenation of the town. Mr Griffiths said: “This is the most exciting period of rede-velopment for the town centre in generations, and I will be doing a lot of work to influence plans to get something that Burtonians can be proud of.”

Andressey Passage, Midland Grain Warehouse - when will Bargates get it’s long awaitedrefurbishment?

The Regeneration of Burton-on-Trent

Above: The delapidated remains of Bargates.Left: The Midland Grain Warehouse before itsrejuvination as a hotel.

page 4, may 5, 2011

By Alex Harland

Andressey Passage warms up for face lift

may 5, 2011, page 5

IT HAS been several months since the Blores Hall Directors Pension Fund successfully applied to East Staffordshire Borough Council (ESBC) for permission to redevelop the troubled Andressey Passage in Burton-on-Trent. The rejuvenation of this problematic area of Burton, which has often been the location of violence in the town centre, will see the construction of seven one-bedroom apartments in the disused Refinery night club, which was popular with club-bers before it closed down in 2001. The plans also include the erection of a two and a half storey building in the open space in front of the club, which will contain three more apartments and room on the ground floor which will be used for shops, restau-rants, offices or professional companies. Gainsborough Property were approached by the Fund to draw up the plans for the Passage. A spokesperson from the Derby-based firm has

said that they were pleased to be given to go ahead by the council, but despite this, ac-cess issues were preventing an immediate start.

Hannah Ellis, who is in charge of the proposed development said: “We could start if we wanted, but it is not ideal. If we can arrange a vehicle access, that would be more preferable.” With the developments given the green light, Burton and Uttoxeter MP Andrew Griffiths also has high hopes for the area, which has be-come a black spot for graffiti, vandalism and crime. The Conservative MP said: “I am pleased to see that there is going to be a rede-velopment there, which I am sure will put a stop to a lot of the problems.” A staunch campaigner against violence and knife

Could green light for the planned rejuvi-nation of Andressey Passage and The Refinery night club stop the violence?

The Refinery night club before the planned regeneration begins. Picture by: Alex Harland

“We could start if we wanted, but it is

not ideal”

crime in Burton, Mr Griffiths is committed to making the town centre a safer place for people who are on a night out, and also to stop Burton from getting a reputation as a troubled town. He said: “I was par-ticularly concerned because we had a spate of incidents involving violence in the town pretty soon after I became the MP, we had a number of vio-lent assaults, culminating in the sad death of Connor Upton. “I’ve been working with the police, publicans and the council to do more to remove the risk of knife crime. “The reality is that it only takes a second when you’re carrying a knife to result in a lifetime of regrets, and possibly the end of some-body’s life.” The hopes of Mr Grif-fiths reflect the hopes of both his constituents and the coun-cil, and heralds the develop-ment of many of Burton’s landmarks.

By Alex Harland

IT’S A scorching day when I get to Burton’s Conservative headquarters in St Pauls Square to interview Mr Griffiths, and I am admittedly nervous about meeting a Member of Parliament. However, my nerves are put to rest when he comes out and he is as friendly as they come. After introductions and a brief explanation of what In Depth Burton hopes to achieve, and the sorts of questions I am going to ask, we begin:

Getting to know... Andrew Griffiths

Burton In Depth: What has the first year as Burton and Uttoxeter MP been like?Andrew Griffiths: It’s been the best year of my life without a shadow of a doubt, and I’m lucky enough to have the best job in the world. I can’t quite believe just how much I enjoy the job, it really is the most interesting, rewarding,

frustrating, satisfying job anybody could ever wish to have. No two days are the same, you get to meet some really incredible people, and you get to see some fascinating and interesting things. It’s been a real privilege to be the MP.BID: What were your thoughts when you were elected?AG: Oh crikey what do I do next? You work for years to become an MP, to get elected, and then the returning officer announces the results. But then nobody tells you what to do next. There isn’t a beginner’s guide, there isn’t a Haynes Manual to being an MP, and you have to basically use your own initiative to decide what sort of MP you are and how you represent the people

We talk to the MP of Burton-on-Trent and Uttoxeter and get to know the politician, and also the man behind the suit.

page 6, may 5, 2011

who sent you to parliament. I think I’m a sort of down to earth, enthusiastic sort of bloke, who likes to get stuck in and say what they think, so that’s the approach I’ve taken to being an MP. I shout about the great things we do in Burton, an am a bit of a cheerleader for local charities and businesses.

“My mum says I’ve got the ‘rogue

gene’”BID: What made you decide to pursue a career in politics?AG: I’m the youngest of five, and my father was a Conservative councillor in Dudley where I’m from for over 30 years. My mum

Andrew Griffiths at Conservative HQPictures by: Alex Harland

Part I - The Politician

“It’s Been a real privelege to be MP.”

may 5, 2011, page 7

says I’ve got the ‘rogue gene’. I’m the only one in the family who followed dad’s footsteps and went into politics. I’m very proud of my dad, he was the Mayor of Dudley, and a really good community activist, a good councillor. It was him that inspired me to get involved in politics in the first place. If I’m honest I still can’t believe that I’ve gone from delivering leaflets in Dudley to sitting on the green benches in Westminster. I still pinch myself sometimes when I walk through the doors into the chamber that its actually me. But without a doubt, every day when I walk in I get a sense of anticipation and excitement, and that’s what gets me out of bed in the morning.

BID: You are the Vice Chairman of the Parliamentary Beer Group, and also the Secretary for the APPG (All Party Parliamentary Group) for the Misuse of Drugs and Alcohol. Do you ever find it difficult to support these often contradicting points?

AG: Burton’s brewing industry is hugely important to me and the town, and I think there’s a lot more to be done in getting extra support for the brewing and pub industry, which employs 4,500 people in Burton. The way I look at it is that they’re two sides of the same coin. I want to see a healthy, prosperous, thriving brewing industry, but I also want to make sure that there’s proper support for people who have an addiction problem.

“The way I look at it is that they’re two sides of the same

coin.”

I do everything I can to promote beer, which I think is a relatively low strength, sensible form of drinking that is enjoyed by millions of people across the country in a very responsible way. We’re one of the luckiest towns in the country, because we have got the Burton Addiction Centre, which has proved to have phenomenal results in rehabilitating people with addiction problems. They have something like a 60 percent success rate. I do an awful lot of work with them, because I think it’s hugely important you don’t just write people off. Just because you are an addict doesn’t mean your life is a write off, and with proper support and help to get clean, people can have rewarding, fulfilling family lives.

BID: You have put a lot of effort into tackling knife crime in the Burton area. How do you feel that campaign is going, and what are your views on the proposed development of the problematic Andressey Passage?AG: I was particularly concerned because we had a spate of incidents involving violence in the town very soon after I became the MP, we had a number of violent assaults which culminated in the sad death of Connor Upton. As an MP my number one priority is to make sure people are safe,

“I think you can build in or build out

crime.”

Words and pictures by Alex Harland

but secondly I didn’t want Burton to get a reputation for being a troubled town. I’ve been working with police, publicans and nightclub owners, and pub watch and the town council to do more to remove the risk of knife crime. The work we’ve done in trying to promote Burton as a knife free zone and to make people realise that if they bring a knife into Burton that it will be found and that they’ll be barred from entering pubs in the town for a number of years. This not only stops knife crime happening, it also gives people the reassurance that they can come into the town and have a safe and happy night out, and that’s important if we’re going to have a thriving night time economy.

In relation to Andressey Passage, I think you can either build in or build out crime. If bad thinking from a developer or builder creates places like Andressey Passage, which was a blackspot for violence on many occasions, I am pleased to see that there’s going to be a redevelopment there which I am sure will put an end to those problems.

Mr Griffiths does all he can to promote the brewing industry in Burton.

page 8, may 5, 2011

Burton In Depth: You come from an engineering background: do you ever miss or think about being a part of that?Andrew Griffiths: I do. There’s something brilliant about making things, and I think we don’t do enough in this country to promote and support manufactur-ing. I also think it is important for MP’s to have an understanding of real life, the way people live their lives, and the pressures on busi-nesses, particularly small busi-nesses. I think that the experience I gained is the most important experience I have in doing my job as an MP. Because I understand the issues and pressures on people if you’re running a business, and you’ve got workers who are reli-ant on you to pay their mortgage every month. When I’m touring a fac-tory or see something being made I do sometimes hanker after the past, and I miss it a bit. But, hope-fully, I’m doing more for manu-facturing than I ever did when I was in the business.

BID: When you get spare time, do you have any hobbies you enjoy doing?

AG: It’s an interesting defini-tion of spare time, because quite often I’m out doing things around Burton such as an event organised by a charity or group that some

people class as work, that I class as enjoyment, because I get a lot of pleasure out of it. When I have nothing in the diary I like to have a few pints of real ale with mates, and I’m a bit of a curry-holic so a few beers followed by an Indian meal, is my idea of heaven.

BID: Do you follow any particu-lar sports?AG: I love sports, I’m a big sports fan. Watching rather than participating sadly these days, but I’ll sit in front of the TV and watch any form of sport. Rugby, football, any sport.

Getting to know... Andrew GriffithsPart II - The man behind

the suitBy Alex Harland

“I’m a bit of a curry-holic!”

I am a big football fan, a lifelong Wolves (Wolverhampton) supporter. In recent years I have become a real Brewers fan, and I regularly go to the Pirelli Stadium and cheer on [Paul] Peschisolido’s boys’. I think we have a great club in Burton Albion, and I pray we fight off relegation. We’re lucky to have a football club that plays such an important role in the community. We have a very community focused football team, who do a lot of good work in the town as well as cheering us up when they win.

BID: What sort of music do you enjoy listening to?AG: I love music, it’s a great way to relax. I have an eclec-tic mix of music, anything from Michael Buble, to Dizzee Rascal to Elbow. I don’t have a particular genre or type of music, so I listen to any form of music really as long as I can turn it up loud.

BID: Do you enjoy watching films, and if so, what is your favourite?AG: I like going to the cinema, but the sad thing is that too often these days I don’t get to see the ending because I fall asleep. My favourite film of last year was Inception, Leonardo DiCaprio. I thought that was an excellent film that kept me awake throughout. I also liked Toy Story 3 last year.

Andrew is an avid Woles supporter.Picture by: Alex Harland

may 5, 2011, page 9

In Pictures - The Octagon Centres’ Easter Farm

TO MARK the beginning of spring, The Octagon Shopping Centre was host to an animal farm from 11am until 4pm on Saturday, April 23. This year’s animal farm included chicks, ducklings, rab-bits, and guinea pigs among other more exotic animals from Tropi-cal Inc. Octagon Centre Manager Peter Hardingham said: “We are delighted to be celebrating spring this year with our wonderful Ani-mal Farm. “Spring is a joyous occa-sion for many, with the start of the warmer weather, the birth of new baby animals and of course Easter! “We were delighted to host the animal farm at the centre. It was lovely to see visitor’s young and old appreciating the animals and celebrating the Easter week-end.” Micaela Perry from the Wocestershire based rescue sanctuary attended the event with information on the animals on show and to supervise petting and handling. Daniel Morris, aged 6, with one of the

animal farms’ ducklings.

An egg-cellent day out for Easter week-end at the Octagon Centre, Burton.Words and Pictures by Alex Harland

page 10, may 5, 2011

may 5, 2011, page 11

Clockwise from top left: A venomous Chilean Rose Tarantula stayed safely inside its tank for the day; 21 year old Paddy Dowling got to hold an Australian Carpet Python...; ...A few minutes before it decided to try and hold him; People were eager to see the variety of animals on show...; ...And the rabbits helped to draw them in; Micaela Perry from Tropical Inc with an uncharacteristically bold hedgehog; The Guinea Pigs and their pups were very popular...; ... As were the chicks and ducklings.