8:30am Friday 10th July 2009
By Chris Hopper
COUNCIL bosses spent £290,000 of housing money on a dilapidated pub – and plan to replace it with a “stupid” piece of public artwork.
Officers from Burnley Council used regeneration cash to buy the Derby Hotel after saying the site, on the M65 roundabout at junction 10, was an “eyesore” on a “key route” into the town.
The acquisition of the former pub, which has stood empty for several years, was paid for with money from Elevate, the body charged with regenerating East Lancashire’s run-down housing market.
Now town hall bosses are in talks to raze the building, grass over the site and put a piece of public artwork in its place.
Burnley Council’s leader said the plan would reduce anti-social behaviour in the area and promote the “right image” for the borough.
However, critics have blasted the scheme, saying Elevate cash should be spent on building new homes in Burnley.
Julie Cooper, Labour group leader on the council, said: “It sounds stupid to me. I can think of much better things to spend the Elevate money on and I think most people who live round there could too. That would be the general view in Burnley.
“We are not flushed with cash in Burnley and a public work of art sounds ridiculous.”
Conservative councillor Jonathan Gilbert, whose ward includes the Derby, added: “It is one thing to knock down the pub but another to put public artwork there.
“Of all the things we should be spending money on as a council, that is not a priority when we have such low quality housing in the borough.
“It does not sound like they have thought things through to me.”
Burnley MP Kitty Ussher earlier this week met with Housing Minister John Healey to lobby for more Elevate cash for Burnley.
She said the use of housing regeneration money on the Derby Hotel was a “matter for the council”.
But she added: “It is an eyesore at the moment so I definitely agree something needs to be done with it, although they could put houses there.”
Council leader Gordon Birtwistle said the authority planned to knock down the Derby, lay down grass and install a public artwork “for people coming into the town”.
It is understood the exhibit would be paid for using Section 106 cash - money collected from developers by council planners.
Coun Birtwistle added: “At the moment the site is a mess and it has been derelict for a while.
“It has been a source of anti-social behaviour and people complain about it.
“It has been an eyesore and does not project the right image for the town so we want to make it attractive to people because it is one of the first things they see when they come into Burnley.”
Burnley Council bosses are now in talks with Elevate officers about potential uses for the site, including for artwork.
Elevate chief executive Max Steinberg said similar ‘interim use projects’ had proved successful in Manchester and Liverpool.
He added: “I would rather have something on the site that’s attractive, even if it is artwork. It is about giving a better impression of Burnley.”
Burnley Council acquired the Derby Hotel earlier this year after Elevate approved funding late last year.
Council officers initially refused to disclose how much was paid for the site.
However, a Freedom of Information request from the Lancashire Telegraph revealed the cost was £287,500.
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/trade_directory/