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Mayor's U-turn over culture-quarter plan

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Published Date: 01 July 2009
THE new Mayor has been forced to backtrack on an election pledge to dump Doncaster's planned Civic and Cultural Quarter scheme after finding it would cost the town too much to axe the project.
Peter Davies has blamed the "scorched earth" policy of his predecessor Martin Winter for signing contracts for the huge Waterdale development just a month before he left office.

After meeting his Cabinet, it was unanimously agreed to commit to the
first phase of the £300 million CCQ development, which will see the old Doncaster College and Beechfield School buildings demolished within the next few months.

Mr Davies said: "I have looked into the Civic and Cultural Quarter that the previous mayor and council signed up to on April 24. To pull out of this legally binding contract at this stage would cost the taxpayer as much as £25 million in compensation.

"One of my key election pledges was not to waste public money and I have decided that the most prudent decision is to endorse this scheme that levers in massive private sector funding and hopefully brings significant benefits for Doncaster residents.

"I have reservations about the viability of the cultural venue but since the contract has been signed with the developers we must now get right behind the project."

Mr Davies said he did not know contracts were already signed when he drew up his English Democrats election manifesto, which referred to "idiotic schemes like the CCQ".

He added: "I was left with a fait accompli and had to decide, do we axe it, which would cost between £8 million and £25 million, or do we bite the bullet. We have no alternative but to make progress."

But the appearance of the project is expected to change before building begins next year. Mr Davies has told the architects to remove some of the angles and round off some of the edges on the civic centre and change some of the exterior materials.

The first phase of the groundbreaking project includes Doncaster's first civic square and additional public areas, new civic offices, a new performance venue and housing. With plans to make Waterdale pedestrian friendly, College Road will be opened up to Chequer Road to redirect traffic around the area.

It is anticipated the project will lead to the creation of hundreds of jobs for the borough.

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Page 1 of 1

  • Last Updated: 01 July 2009 10:07 AM
  • Source: Doncaster Star
  • Location: Sheffield
 
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1

Stephen_Gash,

Carlisle 01/07/2009 10:41:35
In Scotland there is a 40 mile radius surrounding workplaces where local labour has to be sourced first. Scottish MP Michael Connarty pointed this out when the Kirton in Lindsay oil refinery dispute started.

Can such an 'exclusion zone' be applied to this project in Doncaster or do such rules only apply throughout the EU except England?
2

snook cocker,

Doncaster 01/07/2009 11:16:50
I wonder how many of his election pledges Mayor Davies will eventually keep. Is anyone keeping count?
3

Angelina Tarantina,

Doncaster 01/07/2009 11:52:24
Why would we need a new Performance Venue when the old Gaumont could have been given a glorious re-fit and incorporated into the Cultural Quarter - with the emphasis on 'Cultural'. I also believed that Mr Davies was infavour of retaining our old buildings and heritage but it appears not. My Honeymoon Period of 'giving him a chance' is coming to it's end.
4

Outoftheloop,

DN2 01/07/2009 16:58:09
So He didnt actually know if any of his election pledges could be actioned when he wrote his election manifesto?
Apart from his wage cut? he doesnt have a pension does he? one that would take him over the income tax threshold if he accepted the going rate?
Its been less than a month and he has performed more U Turns than Jeremy Clarkson.
What will it be next?
5

Berg,

Doncaster 01/07/2009 18:33:27
First he u-turned on Gay Pride.

Secondly he u-turned on the CCQ.

What next? The man is a walking disaster area.

I supported the Gay Pride and the CCQ so I'm happy he has been forced to keep both project BUT he said he would cut them and he hasn't - HE LIED.
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Rover2010,

Doncaster 01/07/2009 21:12:54
Outoftheloop - I saw in the Vote Davies Manifesto he is a retired doncaster college teacher or summat. I guess even in Doncaster they get lump sum + pension.

Are you saying Davies cut his Mayor pay to £30k to avoid knocking his pension, does he pay tax on the £30k. Probably at 40% meaning he takes home £18K a year less National Insurance, etc. Lets say he will make £15k a year to take home. Probably less than a junior clerk in his council chamber.

And the clown is running Doncaster Council, some JOKE!
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Rover2010,

Doncaster 01/07/2009 21:24:06
Sorry, cannot resist a comment on the latest U-turn.

Now only one Mayor Davies promise left he has to put to the test on his list. Oh, but it is illegal not to provide the translation service. Lets see the score on the board. Davies Zero - Suprise, Suprise.

Bigger Joke is The Conservative Party. They are the ones proping up The Clown Mayor when they could in fact stop the Cabinet functioning by getting out quick and putting the exposed man back to the public vote.

What does that say about the Tory common sense, hate to say it is going to be impossible to do worse that the joker. Every day is a day of doom for Doncaster.
8

Scrutiny Trust And Respect,

Doncaster 01/07/2009 22:25:43
I told you so. I told you so. I told you so.

Snook - be sure everyone who voted for Davies is keeping count. His one claim to fame will be his fantstic ability to kill off the English Democrate Party and his success in making the conservative councillors look absolute in-the-cabinet fools.

I think Mayor Davies is a Labour Party Agent who is out to win Gordon Brown the General Election by the Mayor Davies broken pledges being as many as the PM.

Who said UK politics is dull, in Doncaster we should have to pay for this entertainment. Just remembered, we do, with the Council Tax we are going to get cut.

Ha.. HA.. Ha.. 25,000 votes down the drain and not a pot in which to persist with the unbroken pledge.
9

Tick or Treat,

Doncaster 02/07/2009 09:10:30
The cat is out of the bag. Mayor Davies has found out what an impossible task he presented himself and as he goes on and on breaking trust and respect with failed promises things will get worse.

Not the Captain Mainwaring of Dads Army to our resuce but more like Lance-Corporal Jones. Maybe time to run up a few comedy films in Doncaster about our Mayor and his Councillors on the Home Guard.

Mayor Davies in not for our time, vacate the driving seat please. Nice man I doubt not, but not the leader Doncaster needs to tackle the difficult problems and barriers.

STR's comparison with Gordon Brown is not that far out, Senior Conservative Ken Clarke said the Government was in a state of "paralysed indecision". That sort of sums up Doncaster Mayor Davies and his criticised U-turns.

Ken Clarke adds "They cannot take any decision on any difficult subject,". Sounds just like Doncaster - what people had voted for they are finding are not able to be applied and that only goes one way. Rather like a young child getting to find at Xmas that Santa is not the magic bringer of good things promised.

Ken Clarke needs a have some words with the Doncaster Conservatives about being clear how soon the General Election is going to arrive. Conservative Councillors in the Davies Cabinet will be seen by the public as so close to our Mayor with so many u-turns - muted more on the way - and that puts the Conservatives in danger of them handing the Doncaster MP seats over to Labour.

What is sure to happen is Doncaster will give Labour that one seat majority in Westminster, because local Tory councillors wanted one moment of glory in Mayor Davies' small cabinet.

Some Glory - Some Plan. Come on Labour, she who laughs last laughs longest. Three Westminster seats for Labour are worth having lost the Doncaster Mayor vote.

Trouble is even I am wondering in this was all an inside Labour plan to win the MP seats in these troubled times. If it was, Labour deserves to rule.
10

,

02/07/2009 09:14:27
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason: Removed at editor's discretion
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