Council do not discuss merits of ING Bond
Council do not discuss merits of ING Bond |
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Hayle councillor Robb Lello has been criticised by fellow councillors for independently writing a open letter calling for the Hayle Harbours new owners and potential developers ING Real Estate, to put up a £10 million bond.
Mr Lello dared to suggest that in common with many other developers, ING should be asked to place a substantial bond with the council to ensure that in the event of the development not being completed money would be available to carry out the necessary infrastructure and harbour repairs that ING have promised. He said he did not see why ING should be treated any differently from any other potential developer and explained that such bonds were common place with many being asked to provide such a bond as an insurance that necessary roads and services could be provided. The bond would be returned to the developer once the agreed improvements has been completed. Mr lello added that the placing of a bond would be seen as a 'goodwill gesture' from ING to local people who were fearful of being let down once again would go a long way in reassuring them. Mr Lello also wrote to the chairman of Penwith Council, Jim McKenna with this suggestion.
Despite suggesting what seemed to be a sensible proposal that would provide a safety net for Hayle, Mr Lello was vilified by his council colleagues. Cllr Shirley Oliver showed her complete lack of understanding on the matter by asking which Council would hold the bond Hayle or Penwith, (do try to keep up dear - its Penwith who are the planning authority). Cllr Owen Philp said that the article printed in The Cornishman and based around Mr Lello's open letter suggested that Hayle Town Council had backed Mr Lello's idea when it had not, 'it should have gone before the town council', he said.
Mr Lello said that he had written the letter as an individual and had made no reference to or mention of the council and had not suggested that they backed his idea. The issue was debated for some considerable time before deciding to issue the following statement distancing themselves from Mr Lello's views.
"At the meeting of the full council held on 6 January 2004 it was resolved that the press be informed that the views expressed in an article in The Cornishman newspaper on 16 December 2004, in relation to the owners of Hayle Harbour depositing a £10 million bond, were those of an individual councillor and not those of Hayle Town Council, which has not debated this issue."
Sadly so much time was taken up by the council contemplating it own navel that they never actually got around to actually debating Mr Lello's proposal.
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