REDROW, the company chosen to build homes on Sefton Park’s meadowlands, was today accused of taking a “Pontius Pilate” approach to the proposed controversial development.
The city council’s Lib Dem leader, Richard Kemp, has now challenged the group chief executive of the house-building firm to a public verbal duel on the issue.
Last week, Cllr Kemp wrote to Redrow attacking the slick PR exercise it had organised, and accusing the city's Labour administration of acting like ‘Philistines’ in its approach to the city’s green spaces.
John TutteIn his letter to John Tutte, Redrow’s CEO, Cllr Kemp said: “… it would be entirely wrong of Redrow to proceed now. There is no point in consulting if they then ignore what then are told. I warned that paying expensive London PR consultants who have little or no feeling for Liverpool is not only a waste of money in its own right but a taste of what is to come. We have identified a number of ways to delay and hopefully defeat these proposals. The people of Liverpool will ensure massive expensive over a number of years to make sure that Redrow will NOT make a profit from this green site grab.”
Mr Tutte responded by defending Redrow’s approach to developments and saying the consultation exercise was not about whether the meadowlands should be built on or not.
He told Cllr Kemp:“Your understanding of the purpose of a public consultation is clearly very different from ours. We do not see such events as a simple 'straw-poll’ on whether a site should be developed – after all, if we did then there would be far fewer much-needed new homes built.
“From our perspective the purpose of a consultation is to listen to constructive criticism and suggestions over plans for development: the principle for development is very much one for democratically elected councillors and politicians such as yourself to debate and decide at formally convened meetings.
“If the council does decide that part of Sefton Park should be developed then Redrow with its reputation for quality design remain an obvious choice.”
Cllr Kemp has now challenged Mr Tutte to “come out from behind the skirts of PR merchants” for a face-to-face debate, chaired by an independent person in a neutral location.
In a follow up letter, he says: “I do not believe that companies should adopt the ‘Pontius Pilate’ approach which you have taken. Companies as well as individuals and the public sector have a wider responsibility to leave the world better after their actions than before them.
Sefton Park Meadows“Accordingly I am inviting you to come out from behind the skirts of your PR merchants and debate these issues with me at a public meeting in front of the people of the area which will be affected by the building proposals.
"I am sure that we could agree a neutral venue and a neutral chairperson for such a debate which I think will be instructive for all concerned.
I look forward to receiving your support for this proposition when I will frame some ground rules under which the debate could take place.”
