Prestatyn councillor hits back at cabinet

A councillor slammed by Denbighshire’s cabinet has hit back after a row about Rhyl’s Queen’s Market development.
Cllr Paul Penlington was criticised by Denbighshire County Council cabinet for calling the Queen’s Market development a ‘white elephant’ and claiming millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money had been wasted.
At the cabinet meeting yesterday, cabinet members took it in turns to dish out criticism of Cllr Penlington for describing the project as ‘mismanaged’.
Leader Hugh Evans said he was disappointed with Cllr Penlington for ‘running to the press’.
The cabinet then voted unanimously to adapt its business case for Queen’s Market, allowing them to cover £1.7m of additional unplanned expenditure attributed to construction costs.
Cllr Penlington hit back at the cabinet members who had criticised him, including the leader.
“The fact that the cabinet chose to spend most of the discussion complaining about me expressing concerns on behalf of the residents of Prestatyn rather than actually looking at the increasing debts they are burdening them with speaks volumes really,” he said.
“Most cabinet members are already well-off businessmen with very generous additional remuneration as cabinet members. Whilst I won’t be as critical of them, as they were of me, it is demonstrative of how out of touch with the realities of most people’s lives they are.
“I’m not really concerned they chose to criticise me at length. I am concerned that people are facing the largest cost of living rise in decades, the highest tax increase in thirty years, and a combined council tax increase of almost 25% from this cabinet in the last five years.
“It was noticeable they never once referred to my concerns that people are struggling to cope already. Far more concerningly, they did refer to the uncertainty of future funding needs for this project and hinted it may yet require further funding at some point.”
He added: “The many thousands of people in Prestatyn choosing to heat or eat in the next few years, or the 1,500 children in a crumbling Prestatyn High School, with no chance of a new building from this cabinet, will not be impressed with a shiny new market hall in Rhyl. They will however be expected to pay for it for many years to come through ever-increasing council taxes.”
When complete the new market hall will include retail, food, beverage, market, office and residential space. The total cost of the first phase of the project has now risen from £10.9m to £12.6m. The first phase of the project was originally projected to cost £7.4m. The authority will meet the shortfall from its own funds.

By Richard Evans – Local Democracy Reporter