COUNCILLOR Mike Oborski does like having somebody else to blame, but in the case of the troubled cinema campaign he should look no further than himself.
For some years he has led it down the blind alley leading to the site of the Piano Building, which according to the plan was always to be saved
He should have known that many people would resist the abandonment of that plan.
Why did Mr Oborski and his colleagues weakly allow the developers to tie up every inch of Weavers' Wharf for retail purposes until the only ground left for a cinema was that occupied by the Piano Building?
Centros Miller then presented their ultimatum, correctly assuming that the council would meekly back down and allow the demolition of the Piano Building.
His description of the mill as an "unusable eyesore" says more about himself.
All over the country councils in old industrial towns are making imaginative use of their derelict buildings, showing the sort of vision which, so far, has eluded Mr Oborski.
The trouble with him is that he treats with contempt those who he takes on. He assumed that the civic society would capitulate, just as he had done. It is his miscalculation which has set back the cinema campaign.
May I remind Mr Oborski that the civic society campaigned for a cinema on the superior Crossley Park site.
We are bitterly disappointed that it has fallen through.
If Mr Oborski really wants to blame somebody, perhaps he should look at his senior planning officers who set in train the delay which doomed the scheme.
He could ask them why they insisted that the store attached to the cinema should sell only bulky goods, when virtually every other store there has no such restriction.
Instead of blaming however, it would be better if Mr Oborski got on with the positive job of identifying uses for the Piano Building and alternative cinema sites.
I assume he has thoroughly examined the possibility of converting the Piano Building into a cinema.
NIGEL GILBERT
Town Centre Group
Kidderminster Civic Society
Tynings Close, Kidderminster
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