Sefton Council Refuses to Disclose Cost of Demolition for Southport Theatre and Floral Hall

The Floral Hall and Southport Theatre are about to be demolished.

But with weeks to go before the bulldozers arrive the public are being left in ignorance as to how much the removal of this piece of Southport’s history will cost. Councillors are being told that the costs of demolition are 'commercially sensitive'.

Lib Dem group leader on Sefton, Cllr. John Pugh,  has expressed amazement at this stance taken by Sefton. 

“The demolition is announced and  programmed in for July, (perhaps the not the best time at the height of the holiday season), but it cannot be the case that no contract for the works is signed. If the contractor is signed up to do it he knows what he is getting paid and Sefton hopefully has a good idea of what it is likely to pay.

"There will be many more contracts to be issued, I am sure, but I cannot see how this one qualifies as 'commercially sensitive.’   Regardless of what people think or feel about the need for demolition there is a public interest in knowing the cost. It's the public’s money that is funding it and they would like to know how their money is being spent and how much of it..

Not to release the basic cost is shrouding matters in unnecessary secrecy. People will form and will want to form their own judgement on whether it’s money well spent, but without a clear figure set out, you will get pointless speculation and public paranoia.”   

Good risk assessment requires the proper scrutiny of costs in my view. ”

John Pugh’s view can be found in video form here HERE

The demolition of the Floral Hall and Southport Theatre is part of the £72M scheme to create a new events centre by the Lakeside which cannot proceed without it.