Sarah Carr calls for scrapping of 'Wrong Projects at the Wrong Time', saving tax payers £27m
3.44.23pm BST (GMT +0100) Tue 30th Jun 2009
Sarah Carr, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate for Hereford and South Herefordshire today called for both the new Hereford Cattle Market and New council office projects to be scrapped saving the tax payer an estimated £27m in the process.
The proposed new Hereford Cattle Market has ballooned in cost from £3m to an estimated £10m, and the new council offices are estimated to cost up to £17 million, giving a total of £27m.
Sarah Carr said:
"With the Conservative council's debt of £115 million, it is highly irresponsible to be borrowing yet more to fund these ill thought out and self serving projects at a time of economic difficulty for many during this recession.
"The cattle market can be relocated to an alternative site with minimal impact on public funds, in fact it may even mean a surplus from the recent sale of the current site to developers. The proposed new council offices at Plough Lane are not even intended to house all Herefordshire NHS and Council staff. One of the key selling points of the merger of the Council with the PCT was the supposed efficiency gains. So far all we have seen is an additional management layer, a refurbishment of the Council headquarters and now a further £17 million proposed to house this added bureaucracy.
"The Council is already rated among the bottom 20% of councils for overall performance, with Value for Money rated as being 'at the minimum standard' - the Conservative council's rating is in danger of going through the floor if these projects proceed.
"The Conservative council has proven yet again how out of touch they have become with local people in Herefordshire. These are the wrong projects at the wrong time and both should be cancelled immediately, with a swift review held into more cost effective alternatives."
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