Telford spends £2m on library – before work starts
Monday 24th January 2011, 7:10PM GMT.
Council chiefs in Telford have splashed out almost £2 million on a planned new library and civic offices in the town before a single brick has even been laid, it was revealed today.
News of the money spent so far on Telford & Wrekin Council’s proposed new headquarters in Telford town centre came in a Freedom of Information Request.
The request was submitted by Telford Labour MP David Wright.
Telford & Wrekin Council leader Andrew Eade said it was a major project which would provide an improved First Point customer area for residents to access a range of services, including new restaurants and shops.
The figures released under the request show that in 2008/2009 the council spent £89,652, while the following accounting year it spent £225,639.
But the largest amount – £1.495 million – will have been spent during 2010/2011. The authority has said the money was spent on drawing up the plans.
Mr Wright: “I think this is an expensive project at a time when finances are tight.
“I would question whether a civic office is needed as part of the town centre regeneration scheme when a private sector office building maybe more appropriate.”
But the council has said the development would create up to 2,000 jobs and safeguard 350 jobs, which will transfer to the Asda store.
Councillor Eade said: “Of course there are upfront costs to cover design, legal and planning fees, costs associated with the sale of the current Malinslee House site and funding the team which is managing this project that will kick start the £250 million regeneration of the Southwater area including a new library.
“Virtually all of these costs are met by money the council will receive from the sale to Asda and this money will also pay for the construction of the new building, which will be much more efficient and cheaper to run and play a key part in reducing the council’s wider property costs.
“It will also ensure that this hugely important regeneration gets the major boost it needs to attract further private sector investment and begin to create a living heart for Southwater and Telford town centre.”
By Jason Lavan
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What Cllr Eade meant to say is ‘the money came from the sale of the land from where madeley court school use to be & instead of putting the money back into madeley, we have blown it on drawings for a building we dont really need’.
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Would it not be nice if David Wright actually got on with his job of being an MP? After all, Mr Wright seemed indifferent to the Borough Council when it was under the control of Labour. So why all the interest now? Ah! Of course! Borough Council elections soon! And Mr Wright wants to ensure that Labour can get back in to do what it used to do when it was in power. Increase council tax and do nothing very much.
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It’s a shame the shropshire star only allow comments from Tories….!
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The fact that your comment was accepted and the fact that I am not a Tory negates your point, doesn’t it?
Nice touch of paranoid thinking, though. Look out! They are comning to get you!
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I thought Labour’s strategy of fixing the economy included targeted spending designed to increase jobs and growth? I would have thought that Mr Wright would have noted that that is exactly what this scheme is doing.
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If £2m has already been spent, then I’d argue that work actually started long ago. There’s plenty that needs to be done before a chap with a pick and shovel rocks up on site.
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There is a principle at stake concerning any new Civic Offices in Telford. Is it not morally obscene that at a time of fianancial hardship for many ordinary people, a council should build for itself brand-new luxury offices? Telford & Wrekin Council has not yet received any money for the existing civic offices, the sale of which is conditional upon a number of unresolved factors. Contrary to popular belief, Meeting Point House is not owned by the council and no agreement has been reached for its sale. It stands bang in the middle of Southwater and it probably won’t be going anywhere for quite a while. I understand that there are some significant penalty clauses contained in the agreement with between Telford & Wrekin Council & Asda relating to time scale which will need to be borne by the tax-payer.
As for any warning from investors concerning critisism of aspects of the Southwater scheme, is it not Andrew Eade himself who was warned publically by Hark Apollo that his Southwater scheme jepardises some £800 million of investment in the town centre? Andrew claims that the current civic offices are “crumbling”. Having worked there for the last 4 years, I can assure Journal readers that they are not. Indeed, the Civic Offices are in a much better state than some other public buildings in our borough. That they look like a car park is undoubtedly true. However, at a time where many Telford people are in serious financial difficulty, is this really any justification for their replacement? I believe that the building of new civic offices at this time of cuts to services is actually an afront to Telford tax-payers. It is opposed by almost half of the elected membership of the council. When the public begins to appreciate the implications of its contruction, not least the abandonment of vital projects in a number of deprived Telford wards in favour of Southwater, it will doubtless be opposed by thousands of struggling residents across the borough.
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