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WALTHAMSTOW: Lib Dems vote against Arcade site plan in moody town hall meeting (From East London and West Essex Guardian Series)
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WALTHAMSTOW: Lib Dems vote against Arcade site plan in moody town hall meeting
10:18am Wednesday 25th March 2009
THE council's cabinet was divided last night as nearly half of its members, including the council's deputy leader, voted against the controversial Arcade site bail-out plan.
The Lib Dem group, which holds four of the 10 cabinet positions, last night decided not to support the plan, which was passed, in what is believed to be the first time the cabinet has split since the coalition formed in 2002.
The council plans to fund the scheme to redevelop the long-derelict site, on the corner of Hoe Street and High Street, by borrowing £35m, which it says it can recoup by selling off the Waltham Forest Pool & Track site for housing as well as units on the Arcade site. This means the all the financial risk will be on the taxpayer.
Developer St Modwen was initially to fund the project but pulled out because it did not believe it would be profitable in the current economic climate.
At a moody town hall meeting last night, Cllr Terry Wheeler, the authority's cabinet member for investment, said the site could be left empty for three to five more years unless the council steps in.
He said: "We have to respect our residents' wishes, people want to see, one way or another, something built on that site.
"Not intending to progess this project would be a betrayal of the silent majority of our residents."
Cllr Wheeler rejected recommendations from the scrutiny committee that there should be a full financial appraisal and feasibility study into the scheme, as well as an explanation of the financial reasons for the plan and a study into whether a swimming pool could be an effective "anchor tenant".
Cllr Wheeler said a feasibility study would be a "diversion from facing up to the real issues" and stressed that the cabinet report is clear that financial issues need to be "bottomed out".
But Lib Dem members were furious that they were asked to support the proposals without receiving more information about the financial thinking behind the plan and detail about what will happen to the Pool & Track site.
Cllr John Macklin, Lib Dem group leader said: "We need to make decisions with the full details and full information and we reqested this back in May, it did not arrive."
"We have got a history of knocking things down and leaving them derelict and I am worried about swapping one piece of derelict land in Walthamstow for another near the town hall, I am not certain these issues have been addressed.
"If we were furnished with good information we could make good decisions on this report."
The four Lib Dem members voted against the plan, which was passed because it was supported by the Labour members.
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Your Say Your Guardian
Janet1, Walthamstow says...
10:34am Wed 25 Mar 09
He says that not pouring millions into this scheme "would be a betrayal of the silent majority of our residents".
So the fact that almost all who have commented are totally opposed means, er, that most people are in favour. Brilliant!
LarryTLemur, Walthamstow says...
11:10am Wed 25 Mar 09
Janet1 wrote:While Wheeler Dealer may believe that No is the new Yes, I seem to recall from A Level Law many years ago that silence can not imply assent. It's a good thing that our council isn't bound by any distractions like respecting the views of their constituents, particularly as they seem to know what is best for us.
Wow - top marks to Terry Wheeler for explaining that, when people don't ask for something, it means they actually want it!
He says that not pouring millions into this scheme "would be a betrayal of the silent majority of our residents".
So the fact that almost all who have commented are totally opposed means, er, that most people are in favour. Brilliant!
Pamella, Highams Park says...
11:17am Wed 25 Mar 09
If I had any confidence whatsoever that this council could build suitable shops and flats on the Arcade site, on time and on budget I would support it whole heartedly, however, I have no such confidence, so as far as I am concerned, they should let the site stand empty for as long as it takes, until such time as a private developer is prepared to come back in and do the work.
This council cannot be trusted with such a large project and I for one am glad the proposal was kicked out.
JohnCharteris, Walthamstow says...
11:21am Wed 25 Mar 09
At least there is now no reason that the EMD cinema can't be brought back into use. That might be the only redeeming feature of this plan.
Arvin Brockhoist, says...
11:26am Wed 25 Mar 09
Why is it about the attempts of the Liberals to block it? Does not make sense at all. There is only a tiny bit saying 'it was passed' in this story.
carolinem, walthamstow says...
11:41am Wed 25 Mar 09
carolinem, walthamstow says...
11:41am Wed 25 Mar 09
Lucifer1, Walthamstow says...
11:54am Wed 25 Mar 09
Cllr Macklin: Stick to your guns and do everything possible to stop this arcade nonsense. The REAL 'silent majority' are with YOU - not Wheeler!
mdj, e10 says...
12:14pm Wed 25 Mar 09
This grubby situation shows how democracy has been quietly stolen from the people ove recent years by constitutional change noone asked for: the majority of the majority party rules the Cabinet, which rules the Council - four people outvote 50-odd. When certain officials are blatantly political in their stance - the Council Leader has admitted to sacking and recruiting officials according to their loyalty to his programme - our votes mean nothing. The issue of taxation without representation is now on the agenda.
Ferdy50, Chingford says...
12:37pm Wed 25 Mar 09
Then everyone will know what a great council we have!!!!
carolinem, walthamstow says...
1:39pm Wed 25 Mar 09
KWyatt-Lown, says...
1:40pm Wed 25 Mar 09
This has proven to be the failing of financial institutions and private companies alike, to say nothing of the countless individual investors who have suffered at the hands of those they trusted to have exercised this most basic of business protocols.
Yet, despite these widespread warnings of the risks that any venture that fails in this regard can expose any investor to, Cllr Wheeler rejected recommendations from the scrutiny committee that there should be a full financial appraisal and feasibility study into the scheme, as well as an explanation of the financial reasons for the plan and a study into whether a swimming pool could be an effective "anchor tenant", before exposing the Borough’s taxpayers to a £35 million debt while continuing to fund, to the tune of £500,000, an organisation that has managed to perform so well in the construction sector that it has, to date, lost £50 million.
Cllr Wheeler said a feasibility study would be a "diversion from facing up to the real issues" and stressed that the cabinet report is clear that financial issues need to be "bottomed out", while also claiming to represent the “silent majority” of residents.
How DARE this individual have the arrogance to suggest that he has the majority of the community’s support on this issue or, indeed, their confidence in his ability to manage the process.
Unless there is a hidden agenda here of such outstanding magnitude that, once revealed to us, we shall all stand back in admiration and amazement at the business acumen of this Council, this fiasco should stop now.
Or, could it just possibly be that the Labour group already see the writing on the wall and, in a final act of sabotage before their decimation in the next local elections, hope to saddle the new Council with their debt and folly.
carolinem, walthamstow says...
1:42pm Wed 25 Mar 09
Fraser Scott, says...
2:26pm Wed 25 Mar 09
There is one further option which is 5 councillors could ask the mayor to call an extraordinary council meeting. Of course full council cannot change a cabinet decision but it can ask them to reconsider it. Hopes this makes it clear.
dbisping, Chingford says...
2:47pm Wed 25 Mar 09
mdj, e10 says...
2:51pm Wed 25 Mar 09
Most people only heard of this proposal last Thursday (just after last week's paper was printed, amazingly), so when did the pre-decision scrutiny take place? And if full Council cannot change a cabinet decision, what do we pay them for? I'm grateful for your information, but it seems that we mere taxpayers have been effectively shut out of the process.
Cllr Matt Davis, Chingford says...
3:03pm Wed 25 Mar 09
Stow Cat, Walthamstow says...
3:06pm Wed 25 Mar 09
We didn't realise that our council was so dumb (or simply hell-bent on getting a development happening before the next elections) that they would fall for it. St Modwen are laughing all the way to the bank!
See http://fighttheheigh
t.blogspot.com/2008/
07/st-modwen-delays-
elsewhere-demands.ht
ml
Fraser Scott, says...
3:32pm Wed 25 Mar 09
In no way am I defending the system but the reason given by the government was that the old committee system was too slow to react to changes.
It may seem odd that 60 councillors can be overruled by 6 but that is the way the government framed the legislation.
The government seemed to forget that in Westminster's cabinet system, which this apes, parliament is still sovereign.
dbisping, Chingford says...
3:32pm Wed 25 Mar 09
Lucifer1, Walthamstow says...
3:49pm Wed 25 Mar 09
Now that they have (rightly) voted against this at Cabinet level, they should now formally request that a special council meeting be convened with the aim of asking the Cabinet to reconsider.
Should Labour refuse to reconsider, the Lib-Dems have the option to withdraw from the ruling coalition and pull the rug from under the entire shambles.
I feel sure that the thought of losing control for the remainder of their term would concentrate a few Labour minds!
Janet1, Walthamstow says...
5:30pm Wed 25 Mar 09
Many Labour supporters, including me, switched to the Lib Dems in the last council elections. But the Lib Dems have let us down by backing the Labour group in every important decision right up till yesterday.
Come on, John Macklin. Take the power you've been offered! If I'd wanted this bunch of NuLab chancers to stay in power I would have voted for them.
Arvin Brockhoist, says...
6:58pm Wed 25 Mar 09
Malcolm Shykles, Highams Park says...
7:42pm Wed 25 Mar 09
Stow Cat, Walthamstow says...
7:58pm Wed 25 Mar 09
Now Fraser has clarified the process, can you confirm whether your lot are going to oppose this decision by asking the mayor to call an extraordinary council meeting?
Also, playing devil's advocate here, what would you propose instead? I oppose these plans. But wouldn't the tories just leave the market to decide? i.e. sell the site to the highest bidder, again leaving us with an unpopular tower block.
Janet1, Walthamstow says...
12:25am Thu 26 Mar 09
Arvin Brockhoist wrote:You've got me there, Arvin. What do you mean? What are cheap shop politics?
Janet1, do everyone a favour please, your arguments thus far have been cheap shop politics. If you have nothing to add to this mess please take a back seat?
As for adding to the mess, god knows it's bad enough already. What I'm proposing is a way out of it. What is your objection to that?
Touchwood, Walthamstow says...
10:54am Thu 26 Mar 09
Pamella, Highams Park says...
10:55am Thu 26 Mar 09
jack de large, chingford says...
3:06pm Thu 26 Mar 09
On the subject of the Labour/Liberal Democrat alliance I was told (I don't know if this is true) at the time of the Hale End by-election that the Labour Party were actively encouraging their voters to vote Liberal Democrat in order to keep the Tories out, if that is the best reason a person has for voting Liberal Democrat then I guess they get what they deserve.
Never Kissed a Tory, Walthamstow says...
11:24pm Sun 29 Mar 09
Cllr John Macklin is at the centre of a row over the Arcade site project
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dbisping, Chingford says...
10:26am Wed 25 Mar 09
At least the Lib-Dem's did have some guts and voted against unfortunately for all the good it did