Why did Lib Dems choose to abstain?

The city council has finally taken a decision on the location of new, carbonneutral offices, which will be built on a site in Wincheap. This was a difficult and contentious decision, and both Labour and Tory groups allowed their councillors a free vote. The Lib Dems were the only party to vote collectively, presumably by prior agreement: and they chose to abstain. Primarily this was unashamed naked politicking. Their refusal to back any option allows the Lib Dems the luxury of criticising every proposal put forward and being able to say “we didn’t vote for this”, while they whip up spurious objections. Their position is a simple failure to discharge the duty for which they were elected. It is opportunistic, unprincipled and without regard to the needs of the council and thus, ultimately, the people of Canterbury. There is ample evidence that the existing offices in Military Road are unfit for purpose, and consume significant amounts of carbon. There is no way of improving the design, and no practical way of making the building carbon-neutral. To remain there requires borrowing to fund significant expenditure on new heating and basic structural elements which would be pouring good money after bad. Nonetheless, the Lib Dems are promoting the fantasy that the existing offices can be upgraded. To borrow the sums needed, which the Lib Dems advocate, would be highly irresponsible. Against that, the proposed move is selffinancing from the sale of the current site for housing, providing a genuine win-win solution, especially if Labour’s proposals to significantly expand the number of social and affordable houses to 60% of the total built are adopted by the council.

Most councillors treated this decision with a high degree of seriousness in a non-partisan way. It is a great shame that our Lib Dem colleagues could not rise to the challenge of doing so.

Cllr Dave Wilson

(Labour) Barton Ward