Lib Dem Antics over Market review- Letter

AFTER reading last week’s Harborough Mail and the ‘lunatic’ letter from David Johnson about the potential plans for the future regeneration of Market Harborough and a future location of the market, we were further dismayed at the antics of the Lib Dem councillors at the meeting of Harborough District Council on Monday night.

Readers may like to consider this: the Lib Dems have members on the council’s Transformation Board, which had already publicly debated and agreed to put forward these recommendations; namely that the council should commission the business case to be worked up for the preferred option.

These plans were aired in last week’s Harborough Mail. Last night (Monday) both these councillors abstained along with the majority of their colleagues.

We would like to take this opportunity to remind readers of some of the reasons why this work is being undertaken:

l HDC council offices – we only need 2,000 sq m, but have 5,800 sq m

l Costs £26 per sq m, to maintain unused space each year.

l Council HQ needs up to £2 million spending in repairs and maintenance over the next 15 to 20 years, with half a million in next 5 years.

l Opportunity to redevelop the Adam and Eve Street area of Market Harborough at minimal cost to the taxpayers,

l Potential to strengthen the Town and District retail and community offering.

Not a single councillor has suggested that the market in Market Harborough will close.

We fully understand that the users of the present Market Hall (we are users also) and the traders who operate at the council’s market are concerned about the future.

That is why the decision taken on Monday night will now enable the full business case to be examined and market tested, and for meaningful consultation to be conducted with all stakeholders.

Instead of supporting the proposals for working up of the business plan and consultation on the preferred option, what did the Lib Dems Cllrs say?

Well not much, except that they didn’t support the option on the table.

Of course there are a number of other options as part of the work which has already been carried out, which well they knew about and which they could have suggested, but they did not.

We leave readers, residents and taxpayers to draw their own conclusions.

Cllr Phil King (Kibworth),

Cllr Blake Pain (Lubenham).