Reading Liberal Democrats

Reading’s Liberal Democrat councillors have said a call for further work on the proposal to appoint Askett-Hawk as preferred bidders for the refurbishment of King’s Meadow and Lock Island is a ‘do-nothing’ option – and called for the bid to be thrown out outright.

The Corporate, Community and External Affairs (CCEA) Panel voted for a Conservative “call-in” proposal for further work to be done on both bid proposals for King’s Meadow. Liberal Democrats – who have consistently voted for the rival bid by the King’s Meadow Campaign, subject to improvement of its business plan – point out that neither bid can progress until a decision is taken on which bid is preferred. Liberal Democrat Cllr Gareth Epps proposed an alternative call-in to ask the Cabinet to rule out the Askett-Hawk bid outright – but this was rejected by Conservative and Labour Councillors.

Cllr Warren Swaine, the Lib Dem spokesperson for Culture and Sport, said: “The Culture and Sport scrutiny decision was not unanimous so looking again at the decision is the right thing to do. However, it is disappointing that the Conservatives, despite having taken part in the process to evaluate these two bids, have yet again shown that when it comes down to it they are incapable of making a decision and have chosen to procrastinate yet again.”

Lib Dem Group Leader and prospective Parliamentary candidate Gareth Epps commented:

“Tonight the Conservatives voted to further put at risk the chances of Kings Meadow ever being restored.

“Failing to back either bidder at this stage makes a mockery of the scrutiny process. If they felt strongly about neither bid measuring up, then that would have been the appropriate place to voice it. Instead we heard nothing until their position started unraveling at a public meeting, Their call-in now puts both bids in jeopardy.

“It is pure political expediency at its worst. The Askett-Hawk plans are massively out of scale with the listed Baths, to a point where they are undeliverable. The Conservatives have ducked a positive decision – and have ended up backing Labour over public opinion on this issue.”