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Fylde's £250,000 bill for town hall advice
CASH-STRAPPED Fylde Council spent more than £250,000 on consultants for its controversial £5m revamp of St Annes Town Hall, it has been revealed.
The figure came to light after plans to revamp the town hall were called into doubt by opposition councillors.
The cash has been paid to construction experts Turner Townsend, who revealed their plans for the facelift last year.
What do you think about the use of consultants? Is their advice worth the fee? Leave your comments below.
Opposition members have called for the town hall to be sold off and two smaller council sites used for meetings and office space.
Fairhaven councillor Kevin Eastham, wants the authority to "interrogate" experts from Turner Townsend about the lack of progress on the scheme.
He said: "What we are proposing is not viable and it is getting worse with developments in the housing market, We are spending tens of thousands of pounds on something which is very unlikely to happen.
"This refurbishment is entirely for the glorification of councillors. If that is what we want – go ahead."
The town hall revamp – including the consultation fees – are to be funded by the sale of council land.
A planning application and tenders for the four council sites for sale are expected early next year.
No timescale has been announced for the completion of the project.
Coun Paul Rigby, portfolio holder for finance and efficiency, said: "We have got to get to the market place for valuations. Everything else is speculation."
John Coombes, leader of the council, also called for members to unite behind the scheme.
He said: "This has been going on for years.
"It isn't Turner Townsend that is the problem, it is Fylde Council. A lot of the delay is down to us.
"We are now on the last furlong. We have already lost one set of consultants through dilly-dallying.
"This will not cost the taxpayer one penny piece."
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Monday 13 February 2012
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