The council’s plans for the Arcade site have changed as developer St Modwen couldn't persuade Primark and the like to take on retail outlets in a recession.
Instead the council has decided to go ahead with the scheme but with a swimming pool as the key attraction rather than retail. This will have to be funded by £35 from the council tax payers of Waltham Forest by means of a loan. (Redbridge is trying to do something similar in Ilford by rebuilding Ilford swimming pool for £35m. They have been unable to raise the finance.)
European rules dictate that large investments by public bodies have to be tendered by advertising in the Official Journal of the European Union, OJEU. So why has the council stuck with St Modwen rather than doing so?
Meanwhile, to legitimise this scheme they have employed one of the largest consultancy firms in the UK, namely Building Design Partnerships (BDP Ltd), to carry out a Healthy Living Hub survey on the land stretching from behind the Town Hall, including the Monoux College land.
No, we don't know what a Healthy Living Hub is either. But it sounds like it might be a land grab - the precursor to designating the land as suitable for a major development, perhaps to help pay for the council's Arcade plans.
Get involved by attending the consultation process and contacting your councillors. The Tories are calling for a special meeting of the council in May to try and stop this cabinet process before too much of our money is wasted.
To book an hour slot to speak to BDP on either 22nd or 23rd April and express your views about the land behind the Town Hall contact Andy Watson 020 7812 8373.
Questions you may wish to ask include:
- Have any decisions already been taken or proposals made regarding the development of these sites?
- Who is involved in the consultation process?
- What weight will the findings of the consultation be given in the decision-making process?
- What is the timescale for the Masterplan and will it be published by the council?
- Will all the unedited consultation responses be made available to the public?
- Will the full council be allowed to vote on the proposals or will it only be cabinet members?
- Will the land be sold even if the market is at rock bottom?
- What happens to the plans if the council can’t raise £35m?
- What is safeguarded – are the allotments up for sale, the land around the Monoux building etc?
- How will the athletics track operate if the swimming pool is closed?
- Will the pool be guaranteed to be kept open until the new one is up and running?
- What the hell is a Healthy Living Hub anyway? (especially if they're removing the sports facilities from the land...)
1 comment:
This will have to be funded by £35 from the council tax payers of Waltham Forest
oops you may have meant 35m
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