The Conservatives are keen to highlight their list of ‘FACTS’ to try and justify what local people know have been their disastrous plans for Towcester. Liberal Democrat, Councillor Martin Johns examines some of the Tories fairy tales.

• Towcester’s two Conservative councillors have written that: “Any further work to provide Towcester with additional car parking is on hold until the results of the District Car Parking Review are known.” This is just a fairy tale.

The review was in fact given the go ahead by SNC on 12th January and the second stage of the review is expected in July 2015. There has been absolutely nothing put on hold in respect of their flood plain car park on the Shires. Had further work on the car park been put on hold we can be certain SNC would have put out a press release. Since January, work has already taken place on site to clear trees and hedges, its only the Environment Agency’s objections that have held things up.

• The Tories say their car park will be: “people friendly, car friendly, eco friendly and water meadows friendly.” In truth it’s none of these things. Tory councillors even claim: “it will help property values for Shires residents!” Really?

The council’s own civil engineering consultant has concluded: “…there may be a potential danger to users, particularly vulnerable persons such as children, the elderly and the infirm.” The Environment Agency say: “We are concerned that mitigation measures proposed would be insufficient to prevent floating vehicles leaving the site. Such an event could pose a risk to life and property as well as posing an additional risk of flooding elsewhere.” People friendly, car friendly, eco friendly and water meadows friendly car park? That’s still the boast of our two Conservative councillors.

• Conservatives still claim that significant ‘savings’ will be made by the their decision to move from the modern council offices in Springfields.

This is highly debatable. No clear evidence has ever been provided to back up the Conservatives speculative claim of £200,000 per year savings in running costs. Looking at what data has been made available, the Lib Dems estimate it’s very unlikely that anything approaching this amount could be saved. What everyone does know for sure is of the great damage done by their monstrous Moat Lane building to the conservation area and our historic town. That’s to say nothing about their bungled car parking plans.

• Conservative-led Northamptonshire County Council are to blame for the road closures say Towcester’s Tories.

SNC’s bungled road changes that caused so much chaos were carried out in response to a NCC planning condition. This condition was to enable the roads to cope with extra traffic generated by SNC’s 170 space flood plain car park. Without the Conservatives’ car park there would have been no road closures.

• The Tories claim the Moat Lane council building will hold all the staff from Springfields.

Despite the building’s massive bulk, the Moat Lane offices cannot accommodate all the council’s staff that have previously been based at Springfields. Leisure and Arts, Licencing, and Pest Control are among departments moved to Tove Depot near Tesco. Most staff will hot desk in large open plan offices and spend two days a week working at home. There is room however for the Conservative leader of the council to have a corner office overlooking the water meadows.