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Save the
Viables Craft Centre back
to index
This Tory-initiated saga
erupted about 6 weeks before a Local Election,
and a lot of people got upset about it (not least the Liberal Ward Councillors!).
Basingstoke Labour
fully supports the retention of the Viables Craft Centre.
Contrary to what you may have
heard in the press, all that is happening
is the future of the site leasing arrangements are being reviewed before
the current lease expires. The Council has a duty to consider best value
in its land usage, but there are many cases where community use has been
of paramount
importance.
Any talk of redeveloping the site is pure speculation and scare-mongering on
the part of the Tories.
How events unfurled...
Friday March 28th mischief-making
Tory Councillor Phil Heath announces to the Gazette
that the Viables Craft Centre is "to be considered for redevelopment"
in the Borough Council's
Forward
Plan (ref 0175/D) (NB: the plan clearly does not state this).
Friday April 4th letter appears in the Gazette from backpedalling
Liberal Borough Councillors
for Grove Ward (Ron Hussey and Alex Green, who is seeking re-election).
"We do not share the views ... that the Viables craft centre could no
longer be viable".
Watch them squirm
Thursday April 10th at a Full Council Meeting of Basingstoke and Deane
Borough Council,
clearly rattled Liberal Council Leader Brian Gurden announces "there are no
plans to bulldoze
the Viables Craft Centre".
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