General Discussion

Rumour about a statue of Brunel to be erected on the lawn opposite the coffee bean cafe.

The money could be spent on much more worthwhile things. Painting that shabby railway viaduct for example.

No money to reinstate the other Manor Gardens bridge, but there is money for a statue of Brunel??

It's a great idea. It's the type of thing that attracts tourists.

So get businesses that directly benefit from tourism to pay for it. Are we living in times of austerity or not? I don't see the tourist trade having such a positive impact on the wider community, we have to pay higher water bills to deal with the seasonal increase in sewage and the impact on local beaches. Council tax in Dawlish is the among the highest in the area, I don't see the tourist trade benefiting the wider population - there's no trickle down effect, in fact we probably need a tourist tax. 

I'd question whether the majority of tourists to the area would even be interested in Brunel or have any idea who he was.

More business means more employment and more tax revenue, so it will pay for itself and probably other things.

@DAC

"Are we living in times of austerity or not?"

According to the doom and gloom brigade, we are, but in reality, we are not.

@Carer, would you say that there's absolutely no need for for food banks, breakfast clubs in Schools to feed malnourished children and winter fuel allowances so a large proportion of pensioners don't freeze to death each winter? Which reality do you refer to? Your own or that of wider society?