I HAVE just read that the flats on the corner of Coburg Road belonging to the council, which have been empty for three plus years, are now being transferred to the East Dorset Learning Centre to be used as accommodation for their clientele, for a nominal sum.

Whilst this is a worthy cause I do wonder why they have been allowed to remain unoccupied when there are homeless in Dorchester that have been put up in bed and breakfast at quite an expense or who are sleeping rough.

According to a spokesperson from East Dorset very little work will need to be carried out before they are occupied.

I suspect that some of the would be residents will be from our catchment area but not all and the funding will depend on the location of each resident but why is Dorchester providing a cheap option in the form of ready made accommodation when we have needy here?

The new monetary authority will not be in operation until next spring, cynical that I am, is this housing move to coincide with the new authority?

Again, from what I read, more money will be spent when this authority is up and running and not as promised – saved!

Nothing as yet has been voiced in respect of redundancy’s, where the headquarters of this authority will be or have I missed this vital bit of information?

Also, was Gould’s Folly built in readiness with, again, us good people of Dorchester footing the bill?

Good housekeeping does not seem to be within the council or our councillors remit, I suppose, the old adage being its not our money we are wasting but someone else’s.

Isn’t it about time we all planned for the future needs of all the community, yes some houses are needed, but please look at what is available first, building for the elite isn’t the answer as we haven’t infrastructure in place to cope, one of which is medical facilities, roads, judging by the accident levels in the past six months etc etc

I wonder what excuses, reasoning will be given why our own needing aren’t considered for what is ready made accommodation or are they waiting for a thunderbolt from above?

As with the Fairfield site that large department stores are now redundant and shoppers have moved on

HEATHER ROBINSON

Dorchester