Council Puts Spin on Development Plans
BBC Put Council on the Spot over sale of Green Space to buy Sainsbury's.
BBC Radio Stoke interviewed Cllr Robin Studd, on Wenesdays Breakfast with Pete Morgan 8:45am , to discuss Newcastle Council's plans for the old Sainsbury's site. The Head of Regeneration and Planning was quzzed about plans for the Council to buy and develop the Ryecroft area. He also described an elaborate joint-venture with an unnamed developer and indicated that they were in a hurry to avoid having to pay swingeing rates on the empty property after six months.
The councillor only appeared to lose his bluster when asked by the interviewer, whether it was not the case that the acquisition and development would be funded from the sale of green space. He replied
"This is absolutely not the case, it is a stand-alone acquisition; and we will have to come back to the other item later on, it's not a matter that is going to be discussed today at the budget, the budget has nothing to do with the sale of green spaces and is not a matter that need excite anyone."
However the Council minutes of a meeting dated 28 July 2010, which has only just today been made available on the Council website, appear to contradict Cllr Studd's comments.
In the final part of the meeting, the minutes record that the public were asked to leave, after which the council resolved to dispose of green spaces in order to fund capital projects referred to elsewhere in the agenda. That is the development of the Sainsbury's site and the possible relocation of the civic offices to allow the redevelopment.
See below for a full extract of the minutes of the Council meeting of 28 July 2010 from the point when the public were asked to leave.