What has happened to Roade? When I was a child growing up here the majority of people not only lived here, they worked here too, yet by the time I reached working age there was next to no job opportunities.
My grandparents worked in the Factory, my mum and stepdad worked at Walkerpack and much more than providing a stable source of employment for Roade residents, these places were important for creating a sense of community and belonging.
In the coming years Roade is going to almost double in size, yet where will these people work? Roade to me is much more than just an ideal commuting location, it is a community and a community I love.
There is nothing wrong with commuting to work but having to do so means we have less disposable income, as a huge percentage of our pay gets spent on getting to and from work, on buses and on petrol.
Lets face it now all these people moving here, how many will be working within the community? What job opportunities are there for the next generation of Roade residents? The answer to both is of course very few and very little.
You only need to have lived here a relatively short time to see sources of employment for Roade residents diminish, and it is such a shame because with the loss of these places a little bit of Roade is lost with them.
It is time the council both parish and district begin looking at how they can provide job opportunities not only for those who currently live here but for the future too.
For a long time now I have witnessed the decline of the village I love, and I find it sad when I walk around the village and see what we have lost. Roade is our village, it is our community and I do not want to lose another piece of Roade, we need to fight tooth and nail so the council doesn’t forget about us, so that Roade is not left behind!
Solidarity Steve 