Labour walkout after permission given for Croydon council's new headquarters (From Your Local Guardian)
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Labour walkout after permission given for Croydon council's new headquarters
8:15am Monday 14th September 2009 in
The council’s controversial new headquarters was given planning approval as opposition members refused to vote on the scheme.
The four Labour party members of the planning committee walked out of the meeting on Thursday, in protest of the proposal.
The committee were set to debate the application by the council to build a new headquarters in Fell Road, the current site of other council offices.
Councillor Paul Scott told the committee: “The council has tied itself into a contract that could result in huge penalties, running into many thousands of pounds, if this planning application is refused.
“That is a considerable impediment to impartial decision making, especially when members opposite have already publicly supported the go ahead of this development.
“As everybody knows, this scheme is a key part of the Conservative Council’s Policy.
“Yet, Conservative colleagues are going to have to put all of that aside in a few minutes time.
“However, while we have serious concerns regarding the poor quality design of this building, the negative impact it will have upon our lovely old town hall and its iconic clock tower, along with other planning concerns, let me be clear that it is because this scheme represents the biggest ever waste of taxpayers money in history, that my colleagues and I feel unable to take part in this decision.”
Couns Scott, Khan Hall and Coun Jason Parry responded: “This scheme must be considered on its own merit. It is a great shame the opposition members are using this occasion to score political points when we are looking at a planning application.”
Coun Brian Cakebread said: “Croydon is starting to move forward and this will provide a legacy for our future.”
Council leader Coun Mike Fisher described the opposition’s actions as a “cheap publicity stunt”, pointed out there were no planning reasons to refuse to participate, it was an “abrogation” of their civic responsibility, and they were “unfit to take important decisions”.
The redevelopment, which was eventually approved, is the first stage of the council’s Urban Regeneration vehicle, a partnership between it and John Laing developers.
The partnership sees the council allow John Laing to redevelop four council owned sites, with a 50:50 share of the profits at the end.
Comments(9)
muzzie12-
says...
4:58pm Mon 14 Sep 09
mmj1 wrote:It's probably why the electorate are shunning the main 3 political parties like never before !
The Labour Party show a complete lack of respect to the political process and democracy. Conservative Councillors never did this when Labour were in power in Croydon so why do Labour think that they can behave in this way. The local Labour Party will say and do whatever they think will get them votes. They don't care about local people or whats in the best interest of people in croydon. The new council HQ will 'save' thousands of pounds which is wasted trying to keep the old building standing. It will be far cheaper to run. But Labour don't care about the facts. They will keep lying all the way up to the next election and beyond.
Waddon-Local
says...
5:04pm Mon 14 Sep 09
Stage-managed protests like this may provide him with a few extra inches of ink in the local papers, but they will do little to reassure his increasingly concerned local activist base that he is the right man to lead the Labour group into the next election.
After being personally responsible for driving Ian Payne’s campaign off the rails and into a deep, dark ditch in February, it’s understandable that serious questions are being asked about his leadership in the backrooms of Labour HQ.
With polls showing Labour on course for a stuffing across the borough, expect more stunts like this in a last-minute desperate move to cling on to power in the face of meltdown.
The only question is, will Alison Butler and her supporters sit back and let this happen?
Homeless Couple
says...
5:09pm Mon 14 Sep 09
mmj1 wrote:All political parties are just as bad as each other; but don’t make out like the Conservatives are the best thing since sliced bread! They couldn’t give a rats **** about local people, especially the disabled! So what if the Labour members walked out? Good on them! Why should they have a new building when we have to live in a dirty, hazardous B&B for over a year (wheelchair users stuck in a room with no disabled facilities)? The Conservatives do not care about facts and they are liars too! Remember, you point your finger at the Labour Party but there are three pointing back at the Conservatives, THEY need to get their house in order!
The Labour Party show a complete lack of respect to the political process and democracy. Conservative Councillors never did this when Labour were in power in Croydon so why do Labour think that they can behave in this way. The local Labour Party will say and do whatever they think will get them votes. They don't care about local people or whats in the best interest of people in croydon. The new council HQ will 'save' thousands of pounds which is wasted trying to keep the old building standing. It will be far cheaper to run. But Labour don't care about the facts. They will keep lying all the way up to the next election and beyond.
Fred1
says...
7:34pm Mon 14 Sep 09
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Then again, you can't really generalise. You can't say that one councillor is worse than another just because one's Tory and another's Labour. Unfortunately you can't tell who the good ones are and who the bad ones are until after you've voted them in, which kinda defeats the point of having elections don't you think?
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Just because I don't believe that elections are a panacea for all political ills, doesn't mean I don't believe in democracy. I think it's right for common people to be able to have a say in government. It's just, I don't believe that organised elections can be relied upon to enable that. Elections get way too much hype, and it's quite plainly obvious to an intelligent person that elections don't make anywhere near as much difference as the popular media likes us to think.
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To put it another way, threatening to vote for the other party does *not* make you a revolutionary. There *are* ways that you can make a difference to the government - but voting isn't one of them.
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Indeed, if you delude yourself into thinking that the only thing you need to do to make a difference to the government is to vote in the next election, then it makes you politically apathetic, and it stops you from getting involved in something that *really* makes a difference.
SV
says...
9:07pm Mon 14 Sep 09
is the headline on the Tories own web site.
So, we can deduce that they consider the HQ to be unpopular and controversial!
Regardless of the party politics, does Croydon Council NEED a new HQ when we have so many empty office blocks in Croydon?
The last time I visited Taberner House it had a plush new reception.
Perhaps the Tory run Council should try a little crowd pleasing U Turn in the year before the elections.
yaron
says...
9:35am Tue 15 Sep 09
trish selsey
says...
9:55am Tue 15 Sep 09
No wonder the electorate either can't be bothered voting anymore -- or will look elsewhere these days for someone who seems more in kilter with what the common man and woman are all saying on the street or on the bus or train or even in toni's when getting one's hair done!
Kes
says...
8:54pm Tue 15 Sep 09
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The new council HQ was given planning approval
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mmj1 says...
12:58pm Mon 14 Sep 09
The local Labour Party will say and do whatever they think will get them votes. They don't care about local people or whats in the best interest of people in croydon. The new council HQ will 'save' thousands of pounds which is wasted trying to keep the old building standing. It will be far cheaper to run. But Labour don't care about the facts. They will keep lying all the way up to the next election and beyond.