North Tyneside cash crisis puts future of Whitley Bay Dome at risk
Nov 5 2009 by Adrian Pearson, The Journal
Phase two of the Dome works is expected to need up to £3m extra, with several million pounds needed to fund Whitley park lighting works, phase two of the park’s remodeling, road realignments and the creation of a piazza near the Dome.
Last night Mr McIntyre said: “We always said that it made no sense to spend even £6m as Labour claimed, refurbishing an old pool, when for the same price we could have had a new pool built next to the Dome, which would have helped kick start the seafront regeneration.
“The job of regenerating Whitley Bay has only just begun but nearly all of the money has been spent.
“We don’t even have enough money left to finish the work needed to make the Dome and its buildings wind and watertight. We’ve inherited a complete shambles”.
Added to their worries is a “back-up” building fund which the Tories claim has been drained by the former mayor’s “wild spending”.
They say next week’s cabinet papers reveal a £15.3m reduction in the council’s cash reserves since last March.
When Ms Arkley took over the council she warned the state of the finances may make it hard for her to start up her own regeneration projects, and she may now be forced to seek help from development agency One North East.
A spokesman for the Labour party has turned the table on the Conservatives, accusing them of trying to “wash their hands of any regeneration” in order to keep taxes low. He said: “The original plan was fully costed and any additional spending was accounted for.
“The truth is the Tories opposed this investment from the start because it was £60m of Labour investment.
“They slowed progress down through the planning process, and so to cry foul now is hypercritical.
“The Tories did not invested a penny here when they were in power and they don’t have any plans for it now.”
And Labour group leader Jim Allen said people in North Tyneside were “sick” of the “negativity” coming from the Tories. He said Labour had earmarked additional money from housing, a hotel and £5.5m for the proposed Joint Service Centre, which had since been scrapped by planners.
The issues raised in the report are set to be raised on Monday’s cabinet meeting.
