ON Thursday last, the City's Regeneration Sub-Committee met to consider giving the go ahead to the proposed new bus station. The Director of Community Services pressed for an early decision - so that she could guarantee work would be complete by Christmas 2000.
Conservatives were unhappy with some aspects of the design and voted against immediate approval. Not surprisingly, Labour councillors who were in power for most of the design process - as at Salt Ayre, voted for an immediate go ahead. Indeed, Cllr Bryning appeared flabbergasted that anyone should even consider a rethink (Admittedly, the total cost is only about equal to the overspend on Salt Ayre, and much less than Blobby bills).
What was interesting was the voting of other councillors. Enough gave support to Labour to give the immediate go-ahead. But about four abstained. Surely, abstention can only mean that one does not understand enough of what is going on to be able to make a judgement. Why therefore put up to be a councillor? There are plenty of fences elsewhere to sit on.
Michael Jackson
Hest Bank
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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