UPDATE ON VICTORIA PARK, NEWBURY, Press Release Options

[Ruwan Uduwerage-...]

PRESS RELEASE

Date: 9th September 2013

UPDATE ON VICTORIA PARK, NEWBURY

Newbury Town Council is very aware that many people are keen to know the outcome of the Victoria Park Hydrogeological Survey and related claim.

The Town Council remains committed to sharing any information it can, while ensuring the best possible outcome for the taxpayers of Newbury. Unfortunately legal restrictions still require that most details must remain confidential.

We can say that, as well as the Hydrogeological Survey on impact and liability, we now also have a report which deals with costs of repairs and a more recent report on whether there are likely to be any future issues. Correspondence continues between the solicitors of various parties in an attempt to avoid court proceedings, which would only add further to the costs.

The Town Council shares everyone’s frustration at the continuing delays, and we continue to press the other parties for a resolution as soon as practicable. We know that people are keen to resume football in the park, even though it can be played elsewhere, and we remain conscious that there is a particular impact on the Bowls Club as they face yet another season with a reduced rink.

Cllr Julian Swift-Hook, Leader of Newbury Town Council, said, “I hope that everyone can continue to be patient. We are committed to moving as fast as possible, but the pace of progress is in the hands of others, and influenced by the complexity of the case.”

[Andy Capp]

Thanks for the message, but in essence there is no update or change from last time then!

[Ruwan Uduwerage-...]

Thanks for the message, but in essence there is no update or change from last time then!

Sadly no, and unfortunately there is little/nothing to be gained by NTC taking any different action at this moment.

Yours

Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera
Victoria Ward Councillor

[Exhausted]

Sadly no, and unfortunately there is little/nothing to be gained by NTC taking any different action at this moment.

Yours

Ruwan Uduwerage-Perera
Victoria Ward Councillor

Something to be said for the old saying, "If you can't beat them, join them."

[blackdog]

Park Way cracks: the news from the council is… there’s no news

He added that West Berkshire Council was not involved in the legal dispute at the moment.

Why are WBC not involved? They own the park, they chose SLI as the developer, approved the design and, presumably, the building process. It might be difficult to decide if they should be suing or being sued, but how can they not be involved?

[Andy Capp]

Park Way cracks: the news from the council is… there’s no news

He added that West Berkshire Council was not involved in the legal dispute at the moment.

Why are WBC not involved? They own the park, they chose SLI as the developer, approved the design and, presumably, the building process. It might be difficult to decide if they should be suing or being sued, but how can they not be involved?

Hear, hear!

[Simon Kirby]

I'm swayed by Councillor Uduwerage-Perera's comment that there is little/nothing to be gained by NTC taking any different action at this moment, but it also looks like the dispute could cost us a bundle of legal fees for only a marginal chance of a partial pay-out, so I think the Information Commissioner should now be asked to decide whether the Council is right not to publish.

The Council does of course have a reasonable argument that the disclosure would adversely affect the course of justice, and that is a legitimate exemption to the duty to publish, but it's a reasonably difficult argument to make, and almost certainly wouldn't cover the whole of the information they are seeking to withhold. Even if the exemption is engaged they still have to weigh the public interest for and against publication, and there is significant force in the argument to publish.

If the NWN really has asked for the information like it says it has then the Council should already have gone through this whole process and given the NWN their detailed reasoning, and it would actually help quite a bit if NTC would publish that.

But as I say, I feel that the Information Commissioner should now decide it independently, and as I'm certainly not going to open up another front against the Council while I'm still hoping to get my allotment back in time for autumn digging I think the best course of action would be for a town councillor to make the referral.

[NWNREADER]

Is it 'his' comment, or him passing on the NTC party line?

[Simon Kirby]

Is it 'his' comment, or him passing on the NTC party line?

It is his comment. It might also be the party line - he is the Deputy Leader of the Council after all, but he wouldn't be saying it if he couldn't justify it.

[NWNREADER]

It is his comment. It might also be the party line - he is the Deputy Leader of the Council after all, but he wouldn't be saying it if he couldn't justify it.

Such faith.........

[Simon Kirby]

Such faith.........

To be honest, not saying stuff that you can't then justify is pretty much rule #1 for anyone in public life and isn't exactly setting the bar very high, it's just in Newbury we've rather got used to our politicos either saying nothing, or else saying the first thing that comes into their heads. Whether or not you like the lib dems or the town council administration it's hard to deny the Ruwan is in good faith.

[Andy Capp]

Hear, hear, I appreciate that at least he is prepared to engage with us and not necessarily take the populist view. There seems little appetite from the rest to do the same.