Political View: Have Labour lost sight of priorities?

They inherited several hot potato issues from previous administrations, nearly nine months later what progress has been achieved?

The city’s Regional Pool

This continues to be kicked down the road. As early as 2019 it was identified that the pool needed to be replaced and finally being closed last year due to RAAC, despite no replacement being planned.

Could the pool not have remained open in the same way that the Key Theatre was, with temporary works being completed until a permanent solution was put in place?

Despite promises of a plan being worked through for a City pool, we are still waiting.

Hilton Hotel

What was intended as a shining example of a growing city and providing the council’s finances with a decent profit, this has turned into a white elephant which continues to make a negative impact on the council budget, with no clear result in sight.

Werrington Fields

This is issue has been ineptly handled with poor decision making and lack of leadership that has developed into a situation where the academy trust is virtually at war with the residents they seek to provide education to.

A cabinet that wasn’t willing to make a decision but decided to pass it to full council only to pull the item at the meeting. Truly one of those King Herod / Pontius Pilate moments rather than grasping the issue and looking for a balanced outcome that all parties can be comfortable with.

Localities Review

An ongoing review of community centres, libraries and other council owned building delivering services to our communities.

This again has been knocking around the council for a number of years with little in the way of conclusion. Meanwhile communities are left in limbo wondering when the guillotine will fall. Without proper tenure the organisations running these centres are being denied the opportunities for bidding for grant funding to improve and invest for the future.

The Old Woolworths building (aka TKMaxx)

This was purchased to provide a home for the Vines project that sought and won Towns Fund money. Subsequently abandoned as the site for the project (which still hasn’t been delivered) this building has a number of interested parties looking to acquire it but subsequently walking away from the deal in the latter stages.

The Lido

Although now “saved” from closure, how that item was included in the budget proposal document beggars belief. How could a city that has removed its main pool then contemplate removing the only remaining leisure swimming facility?

It did however lead to a huge number of people engaging in the budget consultation process. Several residents have expressed concerns that just like with previous budget consultations where the Key Theatre and Bretton Water Park were “saved” after the consultation this was yet another example of adding something in in order for it to be “saved”.

The Labour administration need to realise that the honeymoon period is now over.

They need to start delivering solutions to the city’s outstanding issues.

Our city deserves proper consultation with residents and a clear leadership approach that people can get behind.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​