Yet another broken promise
February 25, 2009 3:02 PM
Brian Watkins
In a letter to the local press Brian Watkins, Liberal Democrat Group Leader at City Hall, questions the further delays over the Memorial Gardens redevelopment.
Dear Editor,
It was extremely disappointing to read that the saga over re-developing the Memorial Gardens looks set to continue (Evening News February 7th).
Council Leader Steve Morphew has given continued promises to the people of Norwich, and in particular the war veterans, that this project would go ahead. Now, in typical New Labour management spiel, he says "we are having to put in place contingencies to mitigate for the worst case scenario'. Most people will interpret that as an admission that yet another Labour promise could be broken.
This debate has gone on since the gardens were closed in November 2004. The then Liberal Democrat administration developed fully-funded plans to re-develop the gardens and make them something Norwich could be proud of. When Labour took power, they scrapped those plans and started afresh. Since then, Labour has promised that the gardens would be restored and the funding would be found. Now it seems the whole scheme is in jeopardy.
Steve Morphew blames the economy, and most of us are only too aware of just how bad things have become. However, let us not forget that part of the reason for the economic downturn lays with this Labour Government's handling of the economy over the last 11 years,
Councillor Morphew probably hopes that hiding behind the current economic turmoil will be accepted as a valid reason fro the likely further delay. It's not good enough!This year, Cllr Morphew has already had to apologise to the people of Norwich for one Labour disaster (the scandal over Greyhound Opening), and it now looks as if he will have to do so again.
The very least the veterans, their families, and the citizens of norwich deserve, is a decent war memorial to restore civic pride. Let's all hope Labour can deliver what they promised and provide one. It won't come a day too soon.
Brian Watkins
Liberal Democrat Group Leader
Norwich City Council
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