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Gillan takes side in local controvercy
Ian Gillan spoke to his local newspaper Dorset Echo backing the opposition against a road project, over which the tempers are apparently flying very high (just check the comments to the article on newspaper’s website). The bone of contention seems to be the Dorset County Council’s plan to build a relief road from Dorchester (county seat town, population 16,000) to Weymouth and Portland (combined population about 64,000), 11 km / 7 miles south of Dorchester. The two areas are now linked by a railroad and A354, which for the most part is a two lane country road. Gillan lives in Lyme Regis (population 4,400), which is about 35 km / 22 miles west of Dorchester, so his involvement is not a case of “not in my own backyard” syndrome.
Big Ian takes a very unequivocal position on the issue:
As a Dorset resident I fully support the group Bypass the Bypass that stands in opposition to building the proposed Weymouth relief road.
The opposition group has asked the court for a judicial review of the project, but it’s application was declined.
We were very disappointed. No-one, the pro-roaders included if their case is that strong, should have anything to lose or worry about. We feel that such damage to the countryside has been planned with no alternatives adequately explored. The scheme needs further independent scrutiny.
The next stage of the battle is a six-week public inquiry into compulsory purchase orders on the site that has been scheduled to start on November 6. Gillan will be on tour with Deep Purple from October 31 to November 28.
Thanks to Dorset Echo and Blabbermouth.net for the info.
Unauthorized copying, while sometimes necessary, is never as good as the real thing
Fingers crossed for IG and Bypass. Dorset, a land protected by UNESCO, is too fragile for such investments.
August 29th, 2007 at 07:27Just been reading some of the comments on the Dorset Echo site and my gosh there are some ignorant people on there!
August 29th, 2007 at 09:52They sound like the local villagers who have come to slay the dragon, with pitchforks in hand! If it were any normal Joe Bloggs who felt the need to express their opinion against the Bypass, would they really get so angry? Or is it because of Ian’s status that they feel the need to act rudely towards him?
If I were to say that I am against the bypass and I play flute, would they tell ME to stick my flute up my arse?!
Also, I wish they would read before they say things like that, talking about guitars an that, do your research first!
And at least have the courtesy to spell Mr. Gillan’s name correctly, it’s G I L L A N, not G I L L A M! ( a certain song springs to mind!)
Full support for Bypass the Bypass even more so now, just to spite the rude people. Not long now before we live in a concrete jungle.
August 29th, 2007 at 09:55Oh,come on,this piece really should have been headlined”HIGHWAY STIR!”
August 29th, 2007 at 12:13I heard they want to build an airport right next to Balckmores castle!!
Watch the news for gypsy rioting!!
August 29th, 2007 at 14:58A couple of points.
First, how often is this guy ever actually in Dorset?
How many nights a year does he spend within the county boundaries?
Second, when was the last time he went to Weymouth?
Why when he was driven to court.
Because, the last time he drove a car on a road in Dorset, he get stopped, breathalysed and banned from driving for 16 months, reduced to 12 if he took the special “Bad Boys” course?
And the only reason it was ONLY 16 months was because he was on a quiet country lane in Lyme Regis.
Therefore, don’t think it is a good idea for him to go preaching to the real locals about the state of their roads, if you ask me.
August 29th, 2007 at 19:07Build the highway! Make it massive with a Starbucks every 100 meters.
August 30th, 2007 at 00:15Typical. Stardom’s gone to his head and now he wants to save the planet.
He drives an old Landrover thats chugg’s out god know what into little infants lungs, and yet he’s opposed to a bit of road laying.
Build the bypass and be damned
August 30th, 2007 at 08:23Anyone been to Lyme Regis? It could do with a bypass building right through it!
August 30th, 2007 at 08:57Is the freedom of opinion now going to be damned in the United Kingdom???
Cheers from Germany
August 30th, 2007 at 18:40Opinion??? whats that exactly?
August 31st, 2007 at 10:47Schoenmaker(Timmerman, Zanger?), blijf bij je leest?????
Whatever profession you do, stick to it?
I stick to my shuffle of In Rock, the remaster…….
August 31st, 2007 at 11:30It could be worse I suppose. Here in America, a developer can take your property away from you–not for “public good” such as a road, but to build a shopping plaza or whatever–on the grounds that his development will generate more tax revenue for the the state than your house.
August 31st, 2007 at 14:05Oh… I take offense to the one comment that Gillan is a “has-been.” “Rapture of the Deep” is the most successful album since “Perfect Strangers,” and his career isn’t over–it’s in progress.
Those blogs made for some interesting reading, didn’t they?
August 31st, 2007 at 14:19i’ve registered with the paper to post a response
September 2nd, 2007 at 12:59ah it works – ok – i’m not agreeing with ian or disagreeing, i just find these comments offensive, are these people being reasonable, or just personal, hair,age,etc, they don’t even know him, ian is not saying NO to the bypass as such, he’s suggesting that £84 million of taxpayers money should not be spent on a possibly short term solution, but rather than those ‘involved’ make the final decision (ie. council, big business etc) it should be ‘thought’ through.
September 2nd, 2007 at 13:04i will be posting something similar in response to these suppossed mature people.
Bono, and Geldof try and save the planet.
Gillan gets upset about a proposed bypass
UUhhhmmm I suppose it makes sense if you measure their personal successes against their complaints.
JLT is apparently opposed to roach infestation!
September 3rd, 2007 at 10:15And I thought Gillan was worldly wise!!
And yet he is unable to comprehend that sticking his nose into local goverment bureaucracy serves no purpose whatsoever.
The bypass will be built, and Im sure that when Gillan is in the country he will use it!!
Anyone would think we live in a democracy!! I certainly thought IG knew better!!
September 3rd, 2007 at 16:12Give it a few years, more global warming, rising seas, and most of the south coast will have fallen into the sea.
So who really cares!
Do we have to hear about everything Gillan has an opinion on?
Whats next?
September 4th, 2007 at 13:04Anyone who has followed my comments on this website–or those under StratomasterT on YouTube–knows that no matter how I might disagree with someone, I do not resort to insults and name-calling. Everyone has an opinion and a right to express it.
However, it’s easy to call someone a @#$% . People who do that have no comeback–no response–and probably no point and no way to back up what they are saying.
The amazing thing on the blogs at this newspaper is how very few are making any kind of point. I live in the midwest US, where farmland stretches–sometimes treeless–for as far as the eye can see. In other areas, developers gobble up land and condemn people’s property for yet another strip mall. I can see things either way. Therefore… What–exactly–is the problem (on both sides)? I’m still not sure what each is trying to accomplish–and why?
Is a road really needed? Is the area that precious it can’t accomodate a road? Will it completely devastate the landscape? Or is the need so pressing that the road ultimately become a reality no matter what? Are people being selfish (yes!)?
How about stop acting like an @#$% (*ha ha*–just kidding) and discuss the matter with FACTS!
And behave like civilized people.
September 8th, 2007 at 19:15Its a British thing, its a certain type of mind set.
Here in Britain we knock down the successful, tread all over winners, and promote the unworthy. We campaign and complain about anything thats petty and pointless, while at the same time disregard what really matters.
Probably the only country in the world that gets more upset over building a road than it does a child murderers prison sentence.
Rule Britannia!!
September 10th, 2007 at 14:33i’ve tried posting on the dorset echo page but it seems to have crashed on a full time basis, i wonder why!?!
September 12th, 2007 at 10:10is it safe to assume that if ig had supported the bypass then he would have received positive comments?
i’m not close enough, i can see the woods for the trees (got the environmental issue in lol), all ig was saying is ‘think’.
did he contact the paper or vice versa,is he sticking his nose in,well yes he is,but he pays taxes etc.
if you have to resort to making personal insulting comments, you’ve lost, what happens 5 years or so after the bypass has been built and the problem rears it’s ugly head again?
the cost is not £84 million, thats cost including massive profit, THINK, but don’t insult someone just because they are famous, thats sad.
Who cares if IG supports the bypass or not. Does it make a difference? Why is it even being discussed here. God only knows
September 12th, 2007 at 16:08hey Rebel Without A Cause… Are you comparing I don’t Like Mondays Bob’s musical success to Gillan? There is no comparison. Bob has done nothing musically that even compares to DP or IG.
September 12th, 2007 at 17:44It’s like anything, we don’t want change, but we do want progress and improvement.
June 1st, 2008 at 03:34The one thing that will never happen is for the coastline of Dorset and Devon to become concrete jungles.
As long as true considerations are taken into account and the best possible route found – then the relief road is a ‘must’ I’m affraid. Let me be clear, I would prefer this area to remain quiet and not so busy, but reality is a different thing.
I just hope when they build it, it cuts down on the shear amount of accidents that happen around here and lives are saved by it’s construction.
But no one will ever allow this countryside to be destroyed.
We all know by now who needs a by pass : )
March 29th, 2011 at 23:50