This administration came to power on
the back of a promise. A promise it
has not kept.
A promise made...
The promise broadcast so loudly in our
streets last May was clear: 'Stop
Bourne Hill, vote Liberal Democrat!'
Many people did vote Liberal Democrat.
...But not honoured
They have not stopped Bourne Hill.
Instead, they engaged in a public
consultation. Yes, it is a good thing
to consult the public on important
matters. But the ultimate public
consultation is an election. The
election was fought and won primarily
on the issue of Bourne Hill. What part
of being elected on a promise to 'Stop
Bourne Hill' did they not understand?
A promise they should not have
made
We all know that this is a complex
project and that to stop it has serious
consequences. If they knew the
consequences before they made their
promise, they should keep that
promise. And if they did not know the
consequences, they should not have made
the promise.
Because they knew they could not
honour it
It is public knowledge that the Liberal
Democrats did know, before the
election, the consequences of stopping
Bourne Hill.
The Acting Chief
Executive, David Crook, sent a letter
dated 27 April 2007 to ‘All members of
the Liberal democrat Group’ and
he ‘copied it to candidates for
information’ reminding them that he
had ‘warned that simple cancellation of
the contract would mean that around £5m
of capital expenditure already incurred…
would switch to a revenue charge and
effectively make the council
bankrupt’.
Trust betrayed
The decision to build a scaled-down
version of the proposed District
Council offices at Bourne Hill is not
just a matter of getting less for more
money. It is a betrayal of trust.
click here to register your interest in participating in the community
