Have your say on the council's proposed new offices
On Saturday 2nd April 2011 over 1000 people protested in Dorchester against the decision of West Dorset District Council to build new offices on the Charles Street site.
You can read coverage of the event in the local press. Video of speeches by Alastair Chisholm, Michael Turner QC (part 1 and part 2) and Mike Chaney is also available.
Dr Sue Farrant chairs the Bridport Public Meeting on WDDC proposed new offices
The second public meeting to discuss West Dorset District Council’s plans for a brand new headquarters at the Charles Street site in Dorchester attracted an audience of 80 people at Bridport Town Hall last night.
Dr Sue Farrant, the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate for the West Dorset constituency, chaired the meeting and opened proceedings with introductory remarks and the agenda for the evening.
Councillor Paul Sample JP, former Leader of Salisbury District Council, spoke to the public about the parallels between his experience in Salisbury and the present situation in West Dorset.
Cllr Sample said assurances were made to him by the Council that the Salisbury project would ultimately save money, increase efficiency and enable the Council to retain staff.
From the outset of the project to today, the cost has soared from £5 million to somewhere near £20 million.
Cllr Sample urged the community of West Dorset to rally together and do what it takes to force the Council to scrap the plan. The people of Wiltshire were incensed by what happened, but it was too late for them to stop the project from going ahead.
Cllr Sample said: “The Salisbury Council Leaders and Officers brought local government into disrepute and paid for it with their jobs. I hope the people of West Dorset will stand up and be counted. Learn from the Salisbury experience and turf them out and turf their plans out.”
Continue reading ‘Bridport public meeting results in another ‘NO’ for new Council offices’
There has been a huge demand for a repeat of the public consultation opportunity which Dr Sue Farrant provided in Dorchester on 24 March.
She has now ararnged another meeting to be held in Bridport Town Hall on Monday 19 April starting at 6.30 pm.
This will give people an opportunity to ask questions about the Council’s scheme and to air their views.
Sue Farrant has invited Cllr Robert Gould, Leader of WDDC and prime mover of the scheme and Oliver Letwin MP.
“I think it is important that they both hear what people have to say about this,” she said. “Both Mr Letwin and Cllr Gould are supporting the proposal to build new offices and are claiming that it will save money in the long run. The response from the first meeting made it clear that council tax payers are not at all convinced!”
All are welcome at the meeting.
Residents of Dochester have demanded a Town Poll on the District Council’s intention to build new offices. All electors in the town will have a vote and the Poll will be held on Thursday 22 April between 4 pm and 9pm.
Conservative-run West Dorset District Council says it has consulted everyone about plans to build itself new Council offices.
Strange then that the public meeting organised by Dr Sue Farrant, Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, was packed out with hundreds of people wanting to know more and to have their say.
The Council also says that it has public support for their multi-million pound scheme. Their plan is to move out of historic Stratton House in Dorchester and into specially-built offices off Charles Street. A senior Council officer recently said the cost could be £15 million although the Council’s official figure is £10.5 million.
The meeting on 24 March heard the WDDC’s financial case for the move pulled apart by a series of speakers. They included a previous WDDC architect who told the meeting that it was perfectly possible and a great deal cheaper to adapt Stratton House to meet the Council’s needs.
In final show of hands, not a single person there agreed with the Council’s plans.
The prime movers of the scheme, Councillor Robert Gould, the Council’s Leader, and the Chief Executive, had refused to come to the meeting to answer people’s questions, despite repeated invitations from Sue Farrant.
Sue Farrant has now written to Cllr Gould telling him that he does not have public support for building new Council offices at public expense. She has called on him to abandon it now rather than waste even more public money on trying to push the scheme through.