Row over funding to renovate venue
Nov 15 2007 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal
A ROW has broken out over a funding shortfall that could threaten a “once-in-a-lifetime” North Tyneside regeneration project.
Council officers are trying to plug a £2.5m gap in the cost of renovating the Whitley Bay Playhouse, on Park Road.
A report from strategic director of development Martin Swales has warned that plans started by the previous Conservative administration may need the extra cash.
His report admits the council may have left it too late to secure the European Regional Development Funding now needed to finance the theatre’s upgrade.
Elected mayor John Harrison has dismissed Conservative claims that the project is at risk, and called on the opposition councils to get behind the regeneration scheme.
The report states the European funds are already allocated to other schemes and the playhouse would only benefit if another project does not go ahead.
The council has promised not to scale back the plans, leaving it searching for extra funds which Conservative councillors claim were originally accounted for.
Coun Michael McIntyre said that the next chance to put this level of investment into Whitley Bay might not come for decades.
He added: “When Linda Arkley was mayor, we had plans in place to regenerate Whitley Bay and fund it properly.
“It has taken two and a half years for this administration to ruin what could have been a perfect chance for Whitley Bay. Our original plans financed the regeneration through sale of land, still available, from council assets.
“I imagine the plan to beg or borrow the cash from Europe seemed quite good at first, but now even council officers are saying there is a shortfall and the best you can hope for is that something comes up on the reserve list of the European Regional Development Fund – and that is very unlikely.
“We had a golden opportunity to really improve this area and it looks like it has been wasted.
“If we miss this chance, we will not get another go at regenerating this part of Tyneside for a long time.”
On Tuesday the council decided to make the bid for Euro funding, with a commitment to paying for the project internally if needed.
Mayor Mr Harrison told The Journal he was 100% committed to the playhouse project.
He said: “It’s disappointing that once again Coun McIntyre and the local Conservative Party feel the need to undermine the playhouse.
“Our plans for increased investment in the venue are based on a fully-costed programme of works that will deliver a much-awaited regeneration of Whitley Bay.
“On my election two years ago I pledged to the people of North Tyneside that I would go back to them and they told me clearly they wanted more money invested in the Playhouse which meant the plans set aside £5.5m for a newly-refurbished playhouse.”
A spokesman for North Tyneside Council said: “There are no plans to scale back the regeneration of Whitley Bay.”
