OUTRAGE OVER EARLY SELL-OFF FOR BISHOPS PLACE

1.04.58pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 11th Apr 2008

Paignton Liberal Democrat Councillor Ian Doggett has expressed his deep concern that the fate of Bishops Place will be decided as early as next Tuesday - rather than at a Cabinet meeting in May as the public have been led to believe.

Next week's Cabinet and Council meetings (being held on Tuesday and Thursday next week respectively) have on their agendas the issue of the proposed Paignton Library and Community Hub. The Council report going to both meetings makes it clear that the project "is likely to require all of the receipt for Bishops Place to be allocated to the project."

Councillor Ian Doggett said: "Members of the public and Councillors have been advised that the proposed sale of assets by the Conservative Elected Mayor was to take place on Tuesday 20th May at a Cabinet meeting. Yet the report going to the Cabinet meeting next Tuesday (15th April) makes it clear that the sale of Bishops Place is needed for the Community Hub to go ahead. It looks like the sale of Bishops Place is effectively being decided in an underhand way on Tuesday. I would strongly urge members of the public who do not want Bishops Place to be sold to attend the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 15th April at 5.30pm.