Protect our Creative Communities!

This whole redevelopment nightmare has made me even more aware of the importance of protecting our culture and community from greedy developers, like those who have already ripped the heart out of hundreds of towns across the county, destroying the unique character of historic towns and breaking up the communities that allow us to care for, support and help one another.

Many of these redevelopment projects start as apparently well-meaning schemes that use words like "regeneration" but they are really about a small number of people making a quick profit at the expense of the community as a whole. They are essentially selfish in nature, and inevitably lead to a widening economic divide, the fragmentation of different cultures, and the eventual disintegration of society.

When we find a town where we've managed to keep a sense of community alive, it's vital that we protect it from these greedy and short-sighted interests. There are obvious parallels to the amazon rain forest, which apparently contains potential remedies for most diseases, but are instead cut down and made into farm land in order to satisfy short-term economic interests.

The St Michael's Trading Estate is now home to dozens of eclectic businesses that make the area feel vibrant and inspiring, and the area has now affectionately become known as the Artistic Quarter of Bridport. The creative industries have flourished here, and there are many businesses that use traditional skills including upholsterers, carpenters, sculptors, masons, designers, illustrators, sign-writers, architects and artists.

But the great thing about the trading estate is that alongside the artists and artisans, many other types of businesses are thriving. Clipper Teas and Top Gear, two nationally recognised businesses started here, alongside an indoor bike park, a waste-management centre, a recycling and bio-diesel centre, a local food centre that provides food for local schools, a discount wood store, a glass and tile shop, a wine shop, an electrical goods centre, a window-blinds shop, and dozens of other small businesses.

The St Michael's Studio complex now provides studios for over 25 artists, and many of us rely on our quarterly Open Studio events for our income. To take away our studios also means taking away our gallery space, so even if our studios are relocated, we would lose the use of a high profile venue that we've devoted ten years to develop.

We also know what immense value we bring to the area, because of the direct feedback we receive from hundreds of visitors to our Open events. Many of our visitors simply can't believe a venue like ours still exists, since government legislation and bureaucracy make it very hard for these genuinely authentic creative havens to survive.

There's still time to help! Please submit your objections to the redevelopment proposals at this website. Simply select 'Submit Comment' and let your voice be heard. Because the louder the public shout, the more the councillors will have to listen, and if they know this is an unpopular project then they are less likely to put their names to it.