Pro-congestion charge councillors are planning to build themselves a private underground car park in the city centre.Senior Labour councillors - who are backing the toll in exchange for a massive expansion of public transport - want to tunnel next to the town hall to provide spaces for the 96 elected members, a handful of top officials and approved visitors.Ironically the car park bunker, under the Peace Gardens, would be only a few yards from one of Manchester's main tram stops in St Peter's Square. The scheme is part of a £150m plan to carry out urgent repairs to Central Library and the town hall complex.The Labour group have been branded `hypocrites' for backing a project to build more car park spaces when they are encouraging the public to use more trams, trains and buses.But Bernard Priest, Labour's finance chief and the man behind the plan, said better parking for councillors was `in the interests of democracy'.Council officers have been told to draw up detailed plans including the exact size and cost of the car park - expected to run to many millions.A private Labour group document says it would `provide adequate parking for members on busy council days'.The news comes as the council is spearheading plans for a peak-hour congestion charge of up to £10 a day in return for £3bn of public transport improvements in the region. Manchester Evening News
Wednesday, 2 July 2008
Its ok for us – we make up the rules – you are the ones who have to abide by them
Pro-congestion charge councillors are planning to build themselves a private underground car park in the city centre.Senior Labour councillors - who are backing the toll in exchange for a massive expansion of public transport - want to tunnel next to the town hall to provide spaces for the 96 elected members, a handful of top officials and approved visitors.Ironically the car park bunker, under the Peace Gardens, would be only a few yards from one of Manchester's main tram stops in St Peter's Square. The scheme is part of a £150m plan to carry out urgent repairs to Central Library and the town hall complex.The Labour group have been branded `hypocrites' for backing a project to build more car park spaces when they are encouraging the public to use more trams, trains and buses.But Bernard Priest, Labour's finance chief and the man behind the plan, said better parking for councillors was `in the interests of democracy'.Council officers have been told to draw up detailed plans including the exact size and cost of the car park - expected to run to many millions.A private Labour group document says it would `provide adequate parking for members on busy council days'.The news comes as the council is spearheading plans for a peak-hour congestion charge of up to £10 a day in return for £3bn of public transport improvements in the region. Manchester Evening News
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I pointed this out on Tameside Eye months ago with Stalybridge train station. The GMPF owns the land next to the station just where those industrial units are and Stalybridge Fire Station. Another fire station closure in Tameside anyone?
The new train station design for Stalybridge reduces the amount of FREE spaces available. Making commuters use council owned (expensive) car parks.
Roy Oldham confirmed to me that the GMPF were planning on making the land in to a car park.
You did indeed sir, thanks for reminding us of the duplicitous nature of the pro-congestion charge lobby – which seems to consist entirely of vested interests spearheaded by Labour Party apparatchiks.
Yes, well remembered, you did indeed............
Could that account for your unpopularity with the local establishment and your persecution at their hands? (arrest, theft of computer etc etc)
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