30 October 2014
Solihull Council has admitted the Council handed over 3 acres of Shirley Park for a "nil return" to allow the much downgraded Parkgate scheme to be built. Asked by Shirley West Green Party Councillor Tim Hodgson at the Council meeting on 14th October 2014 what capital receipt the Council had received from Parkgate, the Council Leader confirmed this had been accepted as "nil" despite a previous revelation from a Freedom of Information request that the Council was set to pocket £10.5 million, although the final sum would only be calculated precisely on completion of the project.
Councillor Tim Hodgson said this is "shameful betrayal of Shirley residents". He continued "This land was valued by independent experts at millions of pounds yet the Conservatives have handed it over for nothing. This is scandalous and a very raw deal for Shirley residents."
Solihull Conservatives promised in 2004 that they would not build on Shirley Park and would deliver quality high street stores for Shirley. However:
· 3 acres of Shirley Park has been built on;
· Parkgate has many empty shop units;
· Quality high street retailers like Next and M&S have snubbed the scheme;
· Retail space has been filled up with a library, gym and restaurants;
· There is duplication and competition with the high street;
· In what was supposed to be a high street regeneration scheme we find now that shops such as Greggs and Shoezone are in fact vacating the high street to move into Parkgate;
· Many of the new jobs in Parkgate are on zero hours contracts and not paid the living wage;
· There are now more charity shops in Shirley than before Parkgate was built.
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