Assembly Rooms: Tories refuse call for a rethink,
LEADER DEFIES CALL TO TAKE £24M PLAN OFF AGENDA
A REQUEST to have the Assembly Rooms removed from tonight’s cabinet meeting agenda by Derby’s Labour group has been rejected by the ruling Conservatives.
The request follows an announcement last week that the council is proposing a £24 million refurbishment of the Market Place venue, which has been closed since March 2014 following a fire in the adjacent car park.
This led to a barrage of criticism from the Labour group, which, when in power, decided to demolish the Assembly Rooms and build a new performance venue at a cost of £44 million on the same site.
Labour leader Councillor Lisa Eldret called the Conservative plans ‘retrograde’ and said they would ‘set us back for decades to come.’
She also accused the Conservatives of using £13 million from capital receipts, intended for the ongoing Moorways swimming pool complex project.
She said: “This is perhaps the most disgraceful and underhand part of all.
“They plan to use the capital receipts previously committed to the Moorways refurbishment on the Assembly Rooms instead.
“So not only are they depriving you of a brand new, modern performance venue, they are also removing money set aside for your new swimming pool. And all to deliver on an illthought-out election pledge.”
As a result, deputy Labour group leader Councillor Martin Rawson wrote to council leader Chris Poulter requesting the Assembly Rooms be taken off the agenda.
He wrote: “I do not take this step lightly, but believe that there are such significant issues surrounding this decision that further time needs to be given for consideration by your administration.”
He went on to identify ‘deep opposition’ to the refurbishment plan by ‘Derby’s business community,’ no public consultation on the plan and no mention of the original rebuild plan in the cabinet papers.
Rejecting the request, Mr Poulter said a detailed feasibility study had revealed support across the city for the refurbishment proposal.
He said: “The public has been faced with numerous plans and options for more than four years since the fire.
“If more positive action had been taken and better use had been made of the insurance money, the city would not be facing its current dilemma.
“The decision taken by your administration not to reopen the facility as soon as practicable was seriously flawed and has had serious consequences for the city’s economy. The current proposal is fully funded without the need for borrowing.
“We want to avoid the mistake of imposing unsustainable levels of debt on the Derby taxpayer for generations to come.
“Item 10, the new Assembly Rooms, will remain on the agenda for the cabinet meeting.”
Mr Rawson said he was disappointed with Mr Poulter’s response to his request.
He said: “I hope that all councillors will consider whether the option before cabinet is value for money.”
The cabinet meeting begins at 6pm, this evening, in the council chamber at Derby Council House.