Watch democracy in action
It’s important that people watch decision making processes - witnesses are always valuable - so I hope that plenty of people from Consett will take the chance to watch the Planning Committee of Durham County Council deliberate on the Academy and Sports Centre “outline planning application” to build the Academy on Belle Vue.
It’s fortunate that I’m not a member of that committee because any member who has made their mind up before the meeting (it’s called pre-determination) is barred from voting in the meeting. That’s why I had to step outside when the report on the village green enquiry was taking place a week or two ago in the licensing committee.
As a local member, however, I will be able to put residents’ case to the committee and I shall do just that.
Anyone who wants to is free to watch the meeting on Tuesday March 9th at County Hall starting at 2.00 p.m. in the council chamber.
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March 9th, 2010 at 6:57 pm
Owen, Nice site. I think its great that £45 million is being spent on giving local children a top level delivery of education in this area. I think all parties should support this investment in the North East, as they are few and far between.
Malcolm, I applaud the potential investment, both the £30 million for education and £15K for sports facilities inherited from Derwentside District Council. The critical question is where the spend will create the greatest value for both children and adults. That’s the discussion that should have been held right up front, but sadly wasn’t. Owen
March 11th, 2010 at 4:48 pm
It is not the venue that will decide the effectiveness of the spend, but the delivery of the education and standard of it within these walls. There is no place it could be built that would be universally accepted, remember if things do not move along the investment could be lost.
Malcolm, I disagree. If the spend were made at Genesis (assuming it was safe and financially possible to do so) the result would be a major net gain in facilities since as well as providing the new educational and leisure facilities, including pitches for the school, it would enable retention of existing playing fields and open space at Belle Vue. That is an important part of why that site should not have been discounted before there had been full and frank discussion of the relative merits of all the sites – a discussion which was suppressed.
In the current proposal for Belle Vue a large amount of the total spend is to move existing facilities – £3.7 million stated for relocation of football and Rugby – and involves the loss of some facilities as the knock on effect of moving the Rugby Club is both to incur the wasted cost of replacing very good existing rugby facilities and to to lose the football pitches on which Blackfyne Juniors play (17 teams and 300 children).
Clearly in the case of the football stadium there is a gain as the current facilities will be improved upon.
You are absolutely right that once built, on whatever site, the quality of education at the Academy will depend on what goes on within and that is the concern of us all.
On your final point, are you really saying that this Labour Government would deny the children of Consett their entitlement to new educational facilities on the basis of the choice of site? That would be to agree that this really is blackmail.
Owen