Poole's identity ‘eroded and sold off', says Labour Party

The Grade II listed building is being sold to MCR Property Group, a Manchester based real estate investment and development company, for £5.25million.

It is expected that the re-development will play a vital role in meeting housing targets, but it is not yet clear how the company will use the site.

In a statement Jake Ruggier, chair of Poole Constituency Labour Party said this “marks a new low in BCP Council’s treatment of our town”.

Mr Ruggier said the administration’s desire to complete the sale before the election of Poole Town Council “confirms that their determination to establish these councils had nothing to do with actually giving the people of Poole a say”.

He added: “Residents’ worst fears about the consequences of the BCP merger have been realised. Not only has Poole’s civic identity been eroded and now sold off, but the town has also been sold down the river financially.”

The statement continues on to say if part of the site is rented back the cost will be “borne entirely by Poole taxpayers, to the tune of hundreds of thousands of pounds”.

It continues: “Poole is essentially being squeezed and asset-stripped to help a Bournemouth-based council’s sums add up, as well as line shareholders’ pockets.”

The statement also says it is “disappointing” that claims about the Poole Civic Centre costs BCP Council £228,000 a year are false, as “you only get close to that figure by including the costs of the annexe building and the multi-storey car park”.

The statement concludes that: “Many were glad to see the back of the previous Conservative BCP administration and had high hopes for the new one promising a fresh start. Coming on three years later, there’s not much left of those hopes.”

Cllr Mike Cox, Cabinet Member for Finance and Deputy Leader of BCP Council, said: “The sale of the Civic Centre has fully complied with the democratic decision and vote taken by council last year.

“There are no BCP proposals to rent back part of the building and recharge Poole residents, and to be clear, this sale includes the annexe and the multi-storey car park. It’s not helpful to try and separate these from the costs the council will save.

“These savings will continue to provide essential services to our most vulnerable residents across Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole and allow us to get on with the things everyone living in our area really wants to see their council do, such as fixing playgrounds and filling potholes.”