Still a long way from deciding uses
I HAVE read with interest the many suggestions by your readers for possible uses of council-owned land in Limehurst Avenue, Loughborough.
Let me be clear, we’re still a long way from deciding what it could be used for and the major hurdle is whether it can be used for any kind of development.
The land was designated as being in a flood zone a few years ago which, combined with its industrial past, puts in place significant obstacles as to its future use.
You can read more in our report to Cabinet in January – www.bit.ly/ CBCcabinetlimehurst
At the moment our options for the site are extremely limited; to offer a flavour of our current situation, this short list of options includes flood defence infrastructure, ship building and similar uses.
So the task of the consultants will be to see if this list of options can be lengthened and provide us with a commercial and financial appraisal of the options in front of us.
I am very aware that noone wants to spend money on “consultants” but on occasions councils do need outside advice as they do not always have the necessary skills, experience or capacity within the existing workforce.
What is more, if we get this initial phase wrong, it could end up costing more money further down the line by pursuing an option that is just not viable. If we get this right, any money spent on external advice could be recovered many times over.
I hope that clarifies the situation for some readers.
Coun Tom Barkley, Charnwood Borough Council lead member for finance and property