Shrewsbury taxpayers are having to fork out £5,000-a-month to pay for 24-hour security at a derelict former supermarket site, it was revealed today.The old Tesco supermarket site in Arlington Way, which has planning permission for 101 homes, became a target for vandals last spring when it closed to make way for a new £15 million Extra store in Harlescott.
The huge cost of the security operation was revealed during an exempt item at a full meeting of Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council on Monday.
It is understood the council could be left with a bill of up to £50,000 to pay for the security which has been in place since July last year.
But bosses today defended the financial outlay and said it was necessary to ensure safety.
Councillor Malcolm Price, borough portfolio holder for housing, said the site was hit by three arson attacks within the space of a single month last year. He said failure to ensure security could see the authority landed with a costly lawsuit if a youngster was injured or killed playing at the site.
Councillor Price said: “There were three arson attacks on the building and then people were also found inside the building playing and even people sleeping in there.
“There’s no way we could afford to leave people in there, someone could have been injured or killed. The council would have been sued.”
During Monday’s meeting councillors agreed to authorise the bulldozing of the old supermarket.
Andy Goldsmith, assistant council manager at SABC, said following demolition of the buildings, security would be reassessed.
9 Comments
Nice to know our council taxes are being spent wisely?
Why?It’s not Council land is it,it’s Tesco’s respnsibility isn’t it?
John, Tescos have all of their funds tied up in commissioning the next wave of 75,000 supermarkets.
£5000 a month? maybe I can become a security guard there, for that wage…
Where are all the councillors and town residents screaming foul like they did when it emerged that council tax payers were footing the bill for providing cones on Otley Road for Shrewsbury games.
Total hypocrites.
Perhaps they would like to get a quote for a demolition job - I am sure some of the local yobs would like to have a go- thats if the council decide to claim that the authoirty cannot afford a contractor of course
Tesco has a main priority on how to hide the fact that they make a profit of 20 billion a quarter yet can only show about 2 of it !!!!!!
John, As I understand it, the land is owned by the borough council.
what an ideal spot for a wetherspoons pub