Conservatives Damage Borough Image

7.09.07pm GMT Tue 26th Feb 2008

Liberal Democrats on Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council have blasted Conservative Councillors for damaging the image of the Borough. Lib Dems blame Tory Councillors for poor decision making that has alienated developers and the business community.

"The attempt to sell Gresley Road has been a fiasco" said Liberal Democrat Group Leader Paula Baker.

"It is now undeniable that huge damage has been done to the future prospects for regenerating the Town Centre. Firms will be far less likely to deal with Basingstoke and Deane while the Conservatives run the Council. They must have known how wrong this was becoming. That's why they insisted on putting £100,000 in the budget for image work. I think they are going to need far more than that now!"

"Things could have been so different. If they had drawn up a development brief, if they had made environmental and design considerations, rather than money, the top priority and if they had worked with all Parties and the local community, none of this need have happened."

"The Council could have had a truly worthwhile development, which contributed to the regeneration of Basing View, as well as income from the sale of the land. Instead this opportunity has been squandered and other developments put at risk."

"Now we have a prospective developer attacking the Leader of the Council, saying the leadership of the Council has "damaged Basingstoke's reputation among developers" and that decisions are announced "without any authority".

When partners start using language such as: "an absolute disgrace", "unprofessional", "we do a lot of work with local authorities and we have never encountered anything like this" - it is time for the Leader of the Council to consider his position.

In December the Conservatives said there was no need to change the decision on Gresley Road and that abandoning the tender process now would not be honourable. That policy didn't last a month!

The local Conservatives have done more policy flip-flops than a Gymnastics display team.

I appeal to the voters to use the election this May to put this slipshod, flip-flopping and divisive Conservative Administration out of it's misery."