Is the troika of:
- senior (very well paid) Rochdale Council officers,
- The (very well paid) Rochdale Development Agency (sic) , and
- "ambitious" but deluded local politicians
Dill, Doe and Fancy Dan?
By hook or by crook, it appears that Rochdale Town Centre will be "regenerated" the Troika's way - irrespective of what ordinary local people think.
The consultation seems to consist of a donkey dragging a steamroller with dodgy plans that were drafted months ago. Will these senior executives and "ambitious" politicians ever learn?
The mutli-million pound media unit began spinning last week.
A "Masterplan" of green open spaces, water features, perfomance areas and lots of "jam tommorrow" was mooted.
Then, this weekend, a very short "town centre consultation" happened. A couple of days in the library and some leaflets in Asda's?
But what was really on offer?
Was the so-called consultation a done deal?. It was only for discussing minor details about one white elephant in the farcial zoo that could be Rochdale Town Centre's "decade of woe" (2010-2020).
Do Rochdale people really want the wholesale clearance of exisiting council offices to make way for a Brave New World of £60,000,000 PFI civic office development?
They have no choice- the decision has already been made for "Yelloway / Partnership House". Has the gravy train already left the planned Transport Interchange, filled with "jobs for the for boys".
A recent cunning plan to smear a serviceable office building went ahead. It was revealed in the national press that Rochdale council workers received extra shift allowances for slow lifts in the "Black Box". A double bubble smear- the chance to help demolish a building with another 30 servicable years in it AND damage the reputations of council workers to boot. That will teach them to challenge the Pay and Grade review!
It appears the need to demolish perfectly serviceable council offices has more sinister undertones and could explain why a £60,000,000 new PFI civic centre is already a done deal before any proper public consultation.
There is a planned demolition and sale of the RMBC Telegraph House and "Black Box" Municipal office sites. The Art Deco "Electric House" was demolished years ago to be replaced with "Its Happening" and "Rochdale is Booming" signs, rubble, litter and tumleweed.
Who will be reponsible for a firesale of Rochdale Council's civic silver during a property recession? What other assets and local offices are threatened?
Who benefits from such shady property deals?
The "greenwashing" spin machine describes "exciting" "sustainable" regeneration for Rochdale town centre. A few solar panels and renewable air conditioning will not hide the hot air that is leaking from this very expensive and troubled plan.
Rochdale deserves much better than this.
6 comments:
you haven't even scratched the surface on this scandal yet. You have no idea how deep it goes.
Be careful- those who have profited out of this have a lot to lose - but a proper audit trail could see some people in prison.
Corrupt land deals? Just investigate what has already been bought and what buildings are still in the way of the Masterplan. Who owns what? Who has been doing deals? How did they know what to speculate on?
It looks like Pandora's box is just about to be opened.
Look what happens when people speak out against this corruption. A certain Labour politician is being smeared to high heaven as a result of speaking out against the brown envelope snafflers.
Meanwhile Rowen keeps totally stum...
Over 30 council buildings are currently on a shortlist to be sold. All so the staff can be moved kicking and screaming to an Impact Partnership (ker-ching) administered PFI Yelloway House -£60,000,000 initial cost followed by over £10,000,000 a year thereafter. The figures are around but hidden from th public (and most of the councillors!)e
In the past, a few local property speculators have done very well out of buying council assets. How did they find out about the sales? How did they bid just the right about in a supposed sealed tender process? How did planning permissions slip through so easily?
Who has benefitted? Which politicians and officers have trousered cash or had home improvements done? Who has nest eggs built from their corrupt involvment with the disposal or handling of Rochdale Council assets, building and maintenence contracts and helping difficult planning applications be profitably successful?
To see how this has happened in the past points to why this whole crazy new council office project is being steamrollered through. It is "jobs for the boys" as big projects are good for career prospects and aims to justify promotion and huge salaries. But it is also a twisted self fulfilling system that encougages colluson with gangsters and criminals to profit out of the sale of council land and buildings then the development of the sites with unsuitable projects.
It has been going on in Rochdale since the 1960's.
has anyone checked the OFT report to see if contruction companies have been involved in shady Rochdale construction deals and tendering?
(big stuff costing millions rather than that extention and brick wall that mysteriously appeared at someone importants's house last year)
For starters;
Richardson Projects,
Caseys,
Carillion,
Bramhall Construction
have all been found guilty and fined.
Familar names in Rochdale involved in "exciting" and very profitable regeneration?
Rochdale Observer has picked up on the OFT news.
http://www.rochdaleobserver.co.uk/news/s/1141670_firms_fined_for_rigging_deals
Good for them.
The further they are away from the grasping fist of Cyril, and the spinning tonge of Dave H, the more objective and investogative their news coverage becomes.
Rochdale Observer - Rochdale's ONLY source of news from proper journalists!!!
(and no pornographic smut or cyberbulling- unlike other inferior so-called "news" websites in Rochdale)
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