‘Fag packet’ Tory plan thrown out
A‘ L AST- DITCH’ attempt by Hyndburn’s opposition group to scrap the £2m town centre public square has been rejected.
Conservative group leader Tony Dobson proposed an alternative plan at the full council budget meeting – saying the funding should instead be used to try and open the area in front of the market hall and town hall to traffic and parking.
The Tories also claimed that the project was not supported by town MP Graham Jones.
However, the controlling Labour group rejected the ‘stupid’ Tory amendment, claiming it was ‘uncosted’ and would cost more than the public square scheme.
Planning permission was granted last month for the creation of the square in memory of the Accrington Pals, which will be opened in time for the centenary First World War commemorations in November 2018.
Proposing an amendment to the council’s budget, Coun Dobson asked the council to support the cancellation of the town square and the setting up of a town centre improvement and investment board with a budget made up of sec- tion 106 planning money, High Street Innovation Fund and £250,000 from the council budget earmarked for the town square.
He said: “Its terms of reference would be to open up the road in front of the market and town halls, to attract inward investment into Accrington town centre from organisations such as the LEP (Lancashire Enterprise Partnership), and would make recommendations to cabinet on investments in Accrington town centre.
“We recommend this to the whole council so that we can start to make improvements to Accrington and halt the current rapid decline.”
Supporting the amendment, Coun Peter Britcliffe said: “Why are we spending this money in one of the better areas of the town?
“When people look in front of the market hall they think it’s one of the better areas of the town. They look at Peel Street and think ‘what on earth is going on there?’”
However, Labour councillor Ken Moss said the Tory plan would ‘cost millions’ and criticised the group for not putting together a fully-costed scheme as part of an alternative budget.
He told the meeting: “To not put up a budget six years on the bounce now, it doesn’t bode well that you come to council and present these ‘fag packet’ proposals that really are the most populist thing to say without any form of costing whatsoever.
“How much is this road through Accrington going to cost? And where is the money coming from?”
Coun Paul Cox said the Conservative group have ‘no budget, no ideas and no plan’.
He said: “Tinkering with the direction of traffic on one road won’t make this town more or less attractive to shoppers.
“What will make this town more attractive is having something to be proud of. These buildings, this location, this town.”
Council leader Miles Parkinson said the public square is part of a number of ‘phased improvements of the town centre and will deliver aspiration and drive’, adding: “Reject this stupid amendment turning down £1.9m of Heritage Lottery, which will send out the wrong message of where this borough is going.”