WHEN THE Council announced that it had managed to find a funding package to purchase the Winter Gardens, there was hope in the town that this old romantic complex might once again bloom into an important venue with an attraction to visitors.
We went over how poor the place was doing under Trevor Hemmings and how even with council subsidies it was still making a loss year on year. We discussed how Hemmings had not got a clue and how he must depart immediately.
He must have done something right, though.
Just before the buyout, Hemmings commissioned consultants Drivers Jonas Deloitte ‘to investigate the potential development options and the associated business case for the whole of the Winter Gardens Complex’.
Since the pressure is now on for the council to come up with a redevelopment strategy as part of the funding deal, on Friday last week Helen France proposed and Cllr M Callow JP rubber stamped a decision that it would be prudent to retain Drivers Jonas Deloitte ‘to produce a detailed redevelopment strategy for the Winter Gardens’ because they had already put work in and Hemmings had already paid for it. Their continuing consultancy will cost a mammoth £93,860.
Here’s the £40m question. If the council is going to simply emulate what Mr Hemmings was already doing, then what was the point in them buying the Winter Gardens?
Also, what happened to Right Solution?
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My solution as what to do with the Winter Gardens is to organise a “Friends of the Winter Gardens” Society and then around it recruit a Binky Beaumont figure to organise the best acts as well as the smallest so the Winter Gardens is always in use.
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It’d be a good idea.
Point is though Paul that the council have made a song and dance about getting this building yet they are just continuing what Trevor Hemmings started at the taxpayers’ expense rather than at Mr Hemmings’.
On the face of it, it doesn’t look like the kind of regeneration we’re after.
The decision states that they’re under pressure to start doing something with it, and by commissioning this consultancy I suppose this can be taken as ‘action’.
But it demonstrates quite clearly that the council did not have a reason for buying the Winter Gardens in the first place and they did not have any goals they wanted to achieve with it.
So why on earth did they buy it?
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So what happen to the appointment of Right Solution Ltd that was announced in earlier in the year ?.
How much did that exersize cost ?
What were the findings ?
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Write to Maxine Callow and ask her!
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Its looking like Callow is trying to emulate Gordon Brown for wasting cash……………
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Strange how only certain news is released
http://www.placenorthwest.co.uk/news/archive/6774-architects-required-for-winter-gardens-revand.html
Architects required for Winter Gardens revamp
28 Jul 2010, 12:10
Blackpool Council is seeking architects for the restoration and redevelopment of the Winter Gardens complex.
The council acquired the Grade II-listed Winter Gardens from the Leisure Parcs, together with the Blackpool Tower, as part of a £38.9m refurbishment deal in March.
The refurbishment of both attractions was saved from the Government’s spending cuts last month, which meant the Winter Gardens could undergo a first phase restoration and upgrading programme to create a new multi-purpose conferencing venue for events and functions.
The three-year architectural contract, worth between £50,000 and £250,000, involves a range of services throughout these redevelopment works from advisory and feasibility work through to a full architectural service, in accordance with the RIBA work stages.
Deadline for submitting tenders is 12pm next Monday 2 August.
A £10m programme of repairs is planned for the Tower with the first phase of the project expected to be completed in time for the beginning of the 2011 tourism season.
The £38.9m investment was divided between the Northwest European Regional Development Fund, which has contributed £14m, North West Development Agency, £7.9m, Blackpool Council, £10m, and the Homes & Communities Agency, £7m.
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Wierd.
Why would they commission an architect when according to the decision notes from last friday they have only just (2 business days ago) approved a consultant to come up with a ‘detailed redevelopment strategy’?
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This council has to go they have no idea what to do and their response to their lack of knowledge is to throw money at it. It was a good idea to by WG because it was being left to fall down but surely they would have had some slight idea of where it should go when they brought it but clearly not. This council should step down and make way for some better heads.
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This council should step down and make way for some better heads.
Yes, it should, but there are no ‘better heads’ to take the executive’s place.
My preference would be for an elected mayor – a figure we can have a direct choice in – and possibly a return to the committee system.
That would only get us so far, though.
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So you are saying out of the 42 Councillors Blackpool has elected not one would be able to improve on the present executive place. But there is a man out there in Blackpool who would be a excellent mayor and be able to lead the Town but at present he has no interest in local office.
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Who is that person out of interest, interested?
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Me, clearly
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You’re right! I should have thought.
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But there is a man out there in Blackpool who would be a excellent mayor and be able to lead the Town but at present he has no interest in local office.
That comment was meant to be sarcastic by that I mean people who would run for elected mayor are already on the council or have run for council already. I don’t think a elected mayor would in itself be a answer and neither do I think party politics at local levels are very useful. I can list some councillors who I feel should have a higher profile but because their not old guard conservatives will not get a sniff. One of the many problems that this council has is it is very party orientated and if you are not their brand of conservative then you are the opposition.
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Well one councillor wouldn’t be enough to make up an executive, let alone a working majority to govern.
Even so, out of the 42 councillors, I think that only a few – on all sides – are or have the potential to be effective and competent representatives.
At least in being able to elect a mayor, we can oust them for their incompetence. It’s much more difficult to shift Peter Callow with the current leadership system.
And with a committee system, there’s the chance that one of the few competent councillors has an opportunity to influence decision-making.
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