The Northumberland Conservative Group unanimously formally agreed today that if the Conservatives formed an administration to run Northumberland County Council after the local elections in May they would end the current Labour Administration’s controversial £80 million plan to sell the current County Hall site in Morpeth and move the Council HQ to a purpose built brand new building in Ashington.

Group Leader Cllr Peter Jackson said “The current Labour Administration with the support of the Independent Councillors and Lib Dem Councillors agreed to go ahead with the unnecessary new HQ building in Ashington. They are refusing to recognise the fundamental truth that their expensive and wasteful Councillor’s Palace in Ashington is not needed or wanted by the people of the County. It is clear from talking to residents up and down Northumberland that this scheme is seen as a huge waste of the Council’s money at a time when local services such as our local libraries are being cut and the Council cannot even keep the weeds from growing in our streets.

It is time for us to draw a line in the sand and make it clear that we will stand up for the hard pressed taxpayers of Northumberland and put a stop to this politically driven vanity project. We are putting potential investors and the Council on notice of our firm and declared intention, if they wish to take the risk of trying to bulldoze through this project before the election, we WILL unwind it.”

Morpeth County Councillor David Bawn added “People of Northumberland will now face a clear choice in May 2017 on this issue, a Conservative Group committed to unwinding the expensive and destructive plan as opposed to  a Labour Group with their fully supporting “Independent” and Lib Dem Councillors intent on forcing it through and playing fast and loose with residents’ money.”