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Friday 18th November, 2005

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£580K MARKET SCHEME FLOP

We promise to do better next time, pledge City Hall bosses

CITY Hall wasted nearly £600,000 of taxpayers money on its binned scheme to redevelop Berwick Street, uncovered papers reveal.
And the Labour opposition at Westminster Council has called for an inquiry.
Following a Freedom of Information request made by the West End Extra asking how much was spent on the redevelopment, the council has admitted it spent £580,000 on consultants, architects, designers and planners.
The scheme was thrown out by the council’s planning committee in July – who described it as “a disgraceful application” – following stinging criticism from residents and businesses.
Among the most criticised aspects of the scheme was an untested automatic underground car park, the lack of consultation with residents and the uncertain future of the historic market.
In his letter to the paper, he wrote: “I can confirm that the total sum spent in relation to this scheme was £580,000.”
The Extra reported just three weeks ago that Westminster leader Councillor Simon Milton apologised for the scheme.
And head of property Miles Hooton admitted further apologies had been made by the deputy chief executive Joe Duckworth.

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Landmark ruling on pub hours

CAMPAIGNERS against late licences have won the right to appear in appeal hearings following a landmark court ruling.
In a test case, the Meard and Dean Street Residents’ Association (MDSRA) and the Soho Society challenged the government’s Licensing Act claiming their human rights were breached as they were barred from giving evidence to appeal courts.
District Judge Quentin Purdy ruled the government made an “error” when it excluded individuals from the appeal process. The victory could trigger dozens of cases across the country with residents challenging late licences granted by a local authority.
At a pre-appeal hearing for the Candy Bar, in Carlisle Street, Soho, which is trying to overturn Westminster Council’s decision not to grant a late licence, he said people should be treated on equal terms as the local authority.

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Hopes of bypassing supermarket titans

WHAT have supermarkets done for us? They have enabled more of us to enjoy...
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Cheap tickets give us taste of the past

SOMETHING didn’t feel quite right as I hurried along a busy Seven Sisters Road on the way to the England...
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