As many of you will be aware we held a public discussion last week in Calderstones Park to discuss the future of the Mansion House and the Stables Block. The meeting was called because a very small number of local residents and park users were convinced that the Reader Organisation and by implication the Council had deceived local people and had secret plans which they were determined to force into the open.
In fact the way that the council approached the decision on how to use the building was exemplary and could not have been more open. In June last year the Council formally decided that it was surplus to requirements and needed to be disposed of as together the blocks cost almost £500k per year. They are large buildings and listed so most people can understand that the money floats out through the window. As local councillors we took our concerns to both the officers and to Cllr Malcolm Kennedy the Labour portfolio holder for asset disposal.
