YOUR MP WRITES (From Worcester News)

YOUR MP WRITES

9:40am Thursday 10th July 2008 in

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The future of Hartlebury Castle has led the county council to come in for some severe criticism recently – criticism that is both unfair and misplaced. I am appalled by some of the things that are being said by people who should know better.

The issue arises only because the Church Commissioners have moved the Bishop of Worcester out – and the two-thirds of the building not occupied by the County Museum, together with the hugely important Hurd Library, is lying empty.

As a result, we are facing a one-off opportunity to save this intriguing and important part of the county’s history.

If the council didn’t look at the possibilities, that would be the real crime.

The castle’s future has not been helped by the Church Commissioners, who removed the Bishop without knowing what to do with the property or asking local people what they wanted.

Bizarrely, the public debate has focused on the cost of buying the castle, but that’s not the issue – money for the purchase can be raised through fund-raising, donations, lottery grants and so on.

The council has also been accused of not acting openly. This is simply not true.

I have had many meetings with all interested parties – from Church Commissioners to local people, including the huge crowd at the public meeting at the castle last November – and I know that everything has been done in the full glare of publicity.

No, the real issue, as the council understands, is the cost of running the castle in the future.

I could only support the purchase of Hartlebury Castle if it is not a major financial drain on the council – and so on all of us as taxpayers.

It would be wrong to buy it if it becomes a struggle year-on-year to keep it running.

Given current local government financial settlements, and the continuing rotten deal we get compared with other parts of the country, it is not an easy decision.

We should allow time for the council to look at the costs of taking responsibility for the castle.

The council has behaved in an exemplary manner – and it saddens me that people are trying to score party political points rather than work with the council to ensure we reach a lasting, good value solution.

If the council just let the castle go to the highest bidder, without considering its future, there would be an even bigger outcry.