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MORE ABOUT HINDPOOL
Unlike many towns, when Barrow developed modern out-of-town Retail
Parks, those facilities were built within a short walking distance of
the original town centre, in Hindpool. This created a situation where
Hindpool is now right-slap-bang at the centre of everything. Just about
every conceivable convenience is right there on the doorstep, the small
shops of the original town centre plus the out-of-town Retail Parks are
all within a few minutes walk. And rather unusual for a small
town, Hindpool hosts it's own version of Harley Street (Hartington
Street) where Health Practices have flourished.
Here is a quick summary of facilities in Hindpool (not town centre);
Law Courts, Main Library, Railway Station, Churches, Kindergartens,
Nursery School, Infants School, Junior School, University College
Campus, Town Rugby Stadium (with no parking spaces), Town Football
Stadium, Football Playing Field, Outdoor Basket Ball Courts, Children's
Playgrounds, Sea Promenade, Urban Walk Ways & Cycle Ways, Modern
Museum, Aerobics Club, Health Gyms, Corner Shops, Hairdressers, Chain
Stores, Superstores, Retail Parks, Taxis, Hotels, Nightclubs, Members Clubs, Pubs,
Beer Gardens, Restaurants, Cafes, Food Take-Aways, Salvation Army Centre, Help
The Aged Centre, Territorial Army Training Centre, Coast Guard Office, Citizens
Advice Bureau, Registrar Births - Marriages - Deaths, Public Records Office,
Sailing/Boating Club, Bridge Club, Chess Club, Builders Merchants, Radio Station,
Car Repair Garages, Driving Schools, Petrol Stations, Car Valeting, Driving Test
Centre, Car Distributors, Office Blocks, Telephone Exchange, Chemists, Dentists,
Doctors, Physio Therapists, Day-care Hospice, Veterinary Practice, Recreation Parks,
Fire Station, Small Lake, Multi-plex Cinema, Arts Centre, Art Gallery.
The bottom-line is that inner Hindpool has a massive burden of
wear-and-tear on it's pavements and streets. Even with
on-street-parking there aren't enough car parking spaces for it's own
residents, let alone all the other cars that park in the area because
of it's convenient locality. Understandably the streets suffer badly
from the heavy use and abuse they take from the crowded resident cars
and the many day-time and night-time visitors. The Victorian style
street-scenes are easily spoilt by on-street car parking, poor or
non-existent repairs to the built environment, thoughtless building
consents, inadequate use of Listed Building Orders,
and inadequate policing of car parking.
Barrow Council has done Hindpool proud around the ward's outer edges
where high quality renovation has taken place in recent times. This is
where traffic driving past the residential-interface skirts around the
area via major roads on all sides. However, it's a different story
within the inner streets of Hindpool. A story of penny-pinching
neglect, where flimsy third-world utilitarian design and materials
combine with shoddy workmanship to bring shame upon Barrow Council.
Hindpool is heavily used by all Barrovians, who contribute to it's
massive wear & tear, so all should bear the cost of enhancing
it's urban landscape and keeping it in good condition.
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