Olympics

[Phil Luke]

What are everybodie feelings about the Olympics coming to Portland?

Good? Bad? or Flash in the pan?... What will people make of us, Our roads.

Will most of the contestants be stuck in the road Just outside Weymouth station?? or Chalbury Coner.. or Just at the end of the M27.

Gotta be a wealth of discussion with this one ;)

[Stuart]

This is what I said on the BBC 'Countdown to 2012' website when the decision was announced:-
Welcome to Portland, 2012 Olympics!! The Underhill area of The Island of Portland - the backdrop to the Sailing Academy is desperately in need of a lift. Its present state, described as 'deprived', is a shadow of its once prosperous nature. This is due to 50 years of misguided social engineering, which has caused a gross imbalance in the community structure. Now is the chance to give the district a major boost. We will see the former naval residential blocks brought back to life, and all the buildings around Victoria Square must be revamped and redeveloped to give once more a bright and welcoming gateway to Portland. A super hotel, a few quality houses (no more “affordable” boxes here please), and a supermarket nearby will also benefit visitors and residents alike. Above all we MUST get the relief roads - both the Dorchester - Weymouth and the Wyke Regis bypass routes. This will all bring immeasurable economic and environmental benefits to Portland - the heart of Dorset's World heritage Jurassic Coast.

[Andy Straw, Portlander by birth]

Phil, I really cannot see any benifits whatsoever to the people of Portland. Perhaps School children will benifit to a degree, and having a new sailing facility it may inspire the young of the Island to dabble in the Marine sector. But as for the rest of us, we will be left pretty much as we are, the continuing lack of council spending here will get worse...If that is possible! Fortuneswell will continue to get more deprived, and with the new housing development you will not be able to see a Doctor at any of our two clinics...It is bad enough as it is now. To answer the question "Am I being pessamistic and painting a bleak future for Portland?" Unfortunately the answer is Yes! I would love the isle to be like it was in the early 70's. Jobs in the Dockyard, Quarries, Auwe, shops in Fortuneswell and the Portland Urban District council. The security of knowing that any of your neighbours would help you out if you had problems, the fact that your 5 year old kids were never in the house because of the imaginative children finding plenty to explore here without getting into too much trouble, and with hardly any danger at all of kidnapping and the like. Just a few examples, cause believe me I could go on and on! Again Weymouth with be the sole benificiary, that is where the money will be spent, so they might as well call it the "Weymouth Sailing Acadamy" and by the way....they are very welcome to it, But....Let our council Tax go to OUR island, and not have it wasted on raking the sands every morning and pressure washing their streets street. Andy

[PETER EBDON]

I sadly think it will do no real long term good for Portland or its residents the wke regis road by pass shelved yet again before we even get to the Olympics until a road structure is put in to place to develop a healthier access Portland remains on the back burner. Dont be introvert as many Portlanders are and do become look to an Isaland with a future and not as a second rate cousin to Weymouth. Without development and infrastructure it could become the place where we once lived and no longer inhabited is that what a true Portlander wants I think not.

Andy Straw, Born on the Isle said:

Phil, I really cannot see any benifits whatsoever to the people of Portland. Perhaps School children will benifit to a degree, and having a new sailing facility it may inspire the young of the Island to dabble in the Marine sector. But as for the rest of us, we will be left pretty much as we are, the continuing lack of council spending here will get worse...If that is possible! Fortuneswell will continue to get more deprived, and with the new housing development you will not be able to see a Doctor at any of our two clinics...It is bad enough as it is now. To answer the question "Am I being pessamistic and painting a bleak future for Portland?" Unfortunately the answer is Yes! I would love the isle to be like it was in the early 70's. Jobs in the Dockyard, Quarries, Auwe, shops in Fortuneswell and the Portland Urban District council. The security of knowing that any of your neighbours would help you out if you had problems, the fact that your 5 year old kids were never in the house because of the imaginative children finding plenty to explore here without getting into too much trouble, and with hardly any danger at all of kidnapping and the like. Just a few examples, cause believe me I could go on and on! Again Weymouth with be the sole benificiary, that is where the money will be spent, so they might as well call it the "Weymouth Sailing Acadamy" and by the way....they are very welcome to it, But....Let our council Tax go to OUR island, and not have it wasted on raking the sands every morning and pressure washing their streets street. Andy