I WRITE in response to Cllr Broadhead's letter published on January 7 accusing the Unity Alliance of 'slipping backwards'.

He accused the current cabinet of scrapping or pausing almost all of the schemes that the previous Conservative administrations had initiated.

He claimed that some of these were 'oven-ready' regeneration projects. The reality is very different.

The Poole regeneration scheme had not been tested for viability. Wessex Fields had a £2.5 million funding gap.

The BIC hotel proposal was a pet project that made no sense given the need to consider a comprehensive redevelopment of the BIC.

Other projects were pursued without any understanding of their true cost.

We are progressing most of the regeneration projects in progress when the Unity Alliance took control of BCP Council in May, many of which are in Bournemouth, but we are aligning them with the new corporate strategy.

Instead of focusing on profit, we are ensuring that they meet our environmental and social objectives.

We are seeking to deliver affordable and social housing, sustainable infrastructure and community facilities. Above all, we are doing things properly.

We are carefully considering long term financial implications, ensuring that costs are assessed and monitored, and making savings to address the pressures caused by continuing government austerity.

We are hugely ambitious for our three towns. We have spent much of the last eight months sorting out issues that were not properly dealt with by the Conservatives.

In the coming months, however, residents will begin to see how the Unity Alliance is making a real difference to people's lives and taking steps to ensure the conurbation is equipped to be a successful and attractive place in the years to come.

CLLR MARK HOWELL

Deputy leader of BCP Council

Poole People party