12th March 2008

The Labour group on North Lincolnshire Council has today slammed a Conservative request to put a stop to work on the new Baths Hall.

The Tories have called for a meeting which will be held after the full council meeting and special fire meeting next Wednesday. It is likely the meeting, which starts at 6pm, will go on past midnight to accommodate the Tory request. A motion is to be moved by Cllr Ivan Glover at the meeting calling for the suspension of all works to the Baths Hall.  This will be opposed by the Labour group.

The Labour group has previously announced a £15-million scheme to build a 2,000 capacity venue on the site of the Baths Hall and former youth centre on Doncaster Road, Scunthorpe. Group members have confirmed the cost of the venue will not fall on the taxpayers – last month’s council tax increase of 3.9 per cent was much less than the Tory average of 4.6 per cent over the previous four years.

Labour group secretary Cllr Steve Swift said: “The meeting is an outrageous waste of money, keeping hard working council officers back until midnight. It is even more outrageous, however, that the Tories have called for work to be suspended. Delays, delays, delays – it should be the Tory catchphrase. They’ve delayed the Sports Academy so much it’s missed out on the 2012 Olympics. They delayed Baysgarth Leisure Centre and Labour has had to bring it back on track. And they delayed paying back £40 on the council tax – and we’re still waiting for that.

“Their arrogance continues to astound me. Do they not think North Lincolnshire residents deserve top quality entertainment?  Look at tickets for Lee Evans, sold out in an hour with residents demanding an extra show, proving the Baths Hall will be a fantastic success.  The Conservatives are short sighted and out of touch. At the last full council meeting Cllr Glover suggested Westlife would not sell out the Baths because local people are not interested – which rock has he crawled out from? 

“Perhaps Cllrs Glover and Redfern can do a double act as warm up for Lee Evans – their policies are one big joke after all.”