COUNCILLOR SEEKS ASSURANCES OVER REPAIRS TO OYSTER COVE STEPS

10.50.49am BST (GMT +0100) Mon 3rd Sep 2007

The Liberal Democrat Councillor for Goodrington with Roselands, Christine Carter, has written to the Deputy Mayor Cllr Kevin Carroll about repairs to the Oyster Cove steps. In her letter she ask him to explain differences between comments about repairs to Oyster Cove steps made by himself and the elected Mayor at a Council meeting and documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.

Councillor Carter's letter says:

At the Full Council Meeting on 28th June 2007, you will recall that Councillor Pentney and myself tabled an amendment to the revenue Outturn Position 2006/07. This amendment would have enabled £10,000 to be spent on the Oyster Cove steps rather than the £2,000 that was proposed.

In response to the amendment, you said (and I quote from the tape recording of the meeting):

"I don't think for one minute that we're going to do a make do and mend. I'm pretty sure that it will be a first class job with those steps down to the beach."

The elected mayor said:

"It's not the intention of a patch up job at Oyster Cove."

Using the Freedom of Information Act, I have obtained correspondence on this issue. According to the paperwork I have seen the steps are classed as being past their "use by date", and that "for health and safety reasons the steps at Oyster Cove need to be removed". Reference is also made to funding being in place for both the removal and replacement of the steps. Included in the paperwork I have obtained a quotation for the work to be done which comes to £12150 and VAT. Yet, despite the assurances from the Mayor and yourself, it appears that the Council are only going to go for a "make safe" option (to quote the estimate I have seen) of £2420 and VAT.

Please can I have an explanation as to the discrepancy between the assurances that you and the Mayor have given, and the paperwork, which seems to state the contrary? I would also appreciate an update on the actual work that is being undertaken, and a timetable for the work to be undertaken.

Commenting on her letter Cllr Carter said: "At the Full Council Meeting on 28th June, the Conservatives turned down a Liberal Democrat amendment to use money left over from last year's budget to spend on the steps at Oyster Cove. The Conservative Mayor and his Deputy made assurances that the repairs to the steps would be thorough. According to the paper work that I have seen the work they are likely to do is no more than the "make safe"."

The Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group Cllr Steve Darling said: "It is outrageous that the Conservative Mayor and his deputy seem to be saying one thing in public and doing another in private. They should, as the Liberal Democrat Group suggested, use the money left over from last year's budget to do a quality job on the steps at Oyster Cove."