CAN I start by thanking Mr Elliott for his concern and public awareness of the actions of the Williamson Park Co. In answer to his question about why we have a private company called Williamson Park Ltd managing a public asset can I give the following response.

From the time that European money was used to restore the Memorial the council set up a wholly owned company to manage its affairs. There are five councillors and one officer who make up the board and I 've had the honour of chairing the board for the last eight years.

This has given a small group of people a dedicated role to improve the infrastructure of the park receiving a small grant from the council - making up the balance from profit made from our efforts.

I would disagree with his statement about a long period of neglect - if this had applied the memorial was restored. The board has within its resources, year on year, made improvements albeit quite small ones to the park. The board decided to apply for a Lottery Grant and drove the application through. We are entering the third phase of a four-phase programme to complete the Lottery works. All that work has been competitively tendered and all contractors won the work on the best and cheapest tenders submitted. All contractors have achieved a high standard of workmanship.

One delaying factor in the funding of the Lottery grant was the condition from the Lottery Commission that we have in place a landscape management plan to enhance the present park and control the new section. This had to be done by an external contractor at a cost of £10,000 - this is now in place. Below are rounded figures of what we have paid contractors for the work (professional fees for overseeing the project are not included).

Reconstruction of the Temple and disabled access to the Memorial - £134,000

Restoration of the lake and fountain - £188,000

CCTV park protection cost - £34,000

Re-roofing the cafe and new staff office block -£66,000

Within the new land the contracts have been let to remove the tank at £11,000, fence the land at £28,000 and footpath provision at £24,000... total spend at present - £485,000.

In the final phase we have a number of contracts with provisional allocations to spend up to the grant of £705,000. I can't at this time provide the provisional figures as we are soon to request tenders for this work but the work still to be done includes improving roadways, car parks, restoring the main gates, lighting main thoroughfares, repairing shelters, improving signage, seating and waste bins. The work will be in place as soon as possible.

I hope this reply covers the details requested. I have been steward of the park for eight years and hope the park is now in a better condition than when I started ass the chairman.

I'd like to thank Mr Elliott for his commitment to Williamson Park and assure him of mine.

Cllr John Fearnley

Scotforth West

Chairman WPL

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