By Julian Whittle

Published at 05:35, Friday, 01 August 2008

CITY councillors are demanding a say on major decisions relating to Carlisle Renaissance.

Day-to-day control of the plan to revitalise the city has been handed to an unelected Carlisle Renaissance board. It met for the first time two weeks ago and agreed on four “transformational actions” to:

Create a riverside campus for the University of Cumbria in Viaduct Estate:

Maximise the potential of the ‘historic quarter’ around the castle and cathedral;

Develop new sites for businesses close to the M6 junctions;

Strengthen the city centre, which is likely to involve building new offices and a hotel.

Now councillors are worried they have been cut out of the Renaissance process and cannot influence decisions.

Renaissance director Ian McNichol told a scrutiny panel yesterday that the board would draw up an action plan. This would have to be approved by the city and county councils and the Northwest Regional Development Agency.

But Michael Boaden, leader of the opposition Labour group, doubted that elected councillors would be able to exercise a veto. He said: “I was told it was an informal board meeting but it approved the most fundamental decisions relating to Carlisle Renaissance since it started.

“The board, through its chairman, has a very, very clear head of steam and direction.

“The notion that it [the action plan] can come to council and we can throw it out flies in the face of reality.”

Botcherby Labour councillor Anne Glendinning added: “Why didn’t the board start by asking us what we thought the priorities should be? Instead they’re saying, ‘These are our priorities, what do you think?’.”

The Renaissance board has 12 members – two each from the city and county councils and the NWDA. The other six are from the private sector.

Chairman Bryan Gray told The Cumberland News last week that the board would seek consensus for its plans. And he hinted that the most controversial Renaissance proposal, to bulldoze much of Rickergate, would be dropped.

He will be invited to address the corporate resources overview and scrutiny committee.

Dalston Conservative Nicola Clarke stressed the need to speed up Renaissance, launched as a response to the 2005 flood.

Published by http://www.cumberlandnews.co.uk