Market Hall refurbishment grinds to a halt

ROK, the company contracted to work on the Southport Market refurbishment, have been placed in administration following reported losses of £3.8million.  For more details please see the Southport Visiter site or the Birkdale Blogspot.

It seems somewhat ironic therefore that there is a report on the Agenda for Southport Area Committee meeting next week which gives details of the Southport Market Gateway Features (Public Art).  The report requests approval from the Southport Councillors for moving to stage 2 of this commissioning process with an overall cost of £111,750 including £26,400 for 3 granite seats.

I think its madness to consider spending this amount of money when we are trying to reduce budgets. We are facing the prospect of at least 1,000 employees of Sefton Council losing their jobs as a result of necessary spending cuts and so it seems unjustifiable and incredibly insensitive for Labour and Conservative Councillors to have voted for a scheme that allows large sums of money to be spent on items such as granite seats.

As Tony Robertson, Lib Dem Leader of Sefton Council explained “It displays a complete lack of any grasp of the economic realities that we are facing.  It also indicates that both parties do not see how investment in market redevelopment should be directed. It’s all very well having expensive seats, but if the market traders cannot afford the inevitably higher rents, then who will be there to sit on the granite seats?”

Councillor Simon Shaw has already voiced concerns about where money for this project is being spent. “At a recent Council meeting I asked how much money had so far been spent: the answer was that over £250,000 had been spent on external Consultants, while just £15,000 has been spent on building work.”

Library-in-the-market plan "huge costs" don't add up

Southport residents were joined by Lib Dem Councillors to collect signatures in support of keeping a temporary library in Southport Town centre during the renovation of the "Cultural Centre"





Conservative and Labour councillors refused to support a motion made by the Liberal Democrats at this weeks SOuthport Area Committee which asked for the ruling "Cabinet" of Sefton Council to reconsider their decision to vote against a temporary Southport town centre library in the Indoor Market because of what they say would be the cost.

A figure of £500,000 has been bandied about. We have challenged this constantly.We have done some detailed research and the real figure cannot be anywhere near this amount. To give just one example: no mention has been made of the Lord Street library savings during its closure e.g. rates, cleaning, maintenance, heating etc.. From council figures that we have obtained these alone could amount to £170,00 to £200,000 over the three years. Looking at the work needed at the Market, there are some unbelievably high suggested costs, even by the usual grossly inflated council estimates. e.g. £25,000 for "Kitchen Ventilation" (this is for a small kitchen with facilities for library staff to make a cup of tea or heat some lunch in a microwave !) That is just one example !

Southport has a number of nationally-known, top quality shopfitting specialist companies. We're convinced that they would blitz the job in no time at all - at a far more reasonable cost. But this suggestion did not impress council officers.

Clearly, certain politicians who haven't done their homework properly, are trying to make the cost as high as possible as an excuse not to provide a temporary town centre library.

To use an old expression: "Where there's a will, there's a way !"