Politcial Foresight

[higg]

This is not cycling related but don't worry it's not party political either, just a though that occured to me (while cycling) a few days ago.

Last Friday was a sunny evening, I got off the train from work said to myself what a nice evening, still time to go out for a ride before dark. I did my usual hilly loop which finshes coming down Farthing Downs. When I stopped at the top to put on my lights this sign caught my eye.

[img]http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs397.snc3/24152_378558131867_565591867_3873560_7056920_n.jpg[/img]

I seen it many times but suddenly the realisation that this sign reads City of London not Surrey County Council, Croydon Council or whoever claims jurisdiction for the surrounding area, this is the City of London (i.e) Bank, Bishopsgate, Moorgate etc.

The signs reads,

"The Corporation of London is the local authority for the City of London. It provides services not only in the City but also far outside its boundary. In reponse to public concern at the loss of commons and parks to development in the nineteenth centuary, it established the policy of acquiring land for public open spaces within 25 miles of the City for the benefit of Londoners and the nation.

Consequently, the four Cousldon Comons (Farthing Downs, Cousldon Common, Kenley and Riddlesdown) were bought by the Corporation in 1883. Although not registered as commons today, these four open spaces are protected from development by the 1878 Act under which they were acquired. The cost of maintaining them is met from the Corporation's own private resources with occasional support from public bodies."


As I made my way home I began to wonder if any of the current crop have the foresight or imagination to make a similar decision today ..........

[Phil H]

I was up there on Wednesday doing some conservation work (my employer lets us out occasionally to do stuff like that). The planning and timescales are something you don't see in politics or business - they are regularly thinking 10 or 20 years or even further in the future. It's quite interesting.