Maryport playground saved by town businessman
Last updated at 08:10, Friday, 05 March 2010
POPULAR Maryport playground, Shiver Me Timbers, has been saved for at least two years thanks to aquarium owner, Mark Vollers.
Mr Vollers sealed the deal for Maryport town councillors tonight when he offered a partnership that would cost him £28,412 a year but would leave the town council having to find only £9,405.
There was support for the proposal from almost all councillors, except Coun Peter Kendall, who said the playground was going to cost much more than that in the future and warned that if health and safety issues were not followed the council could find itself in court.
Coun Pat McCracken supported the saving of the playground but was concerned about the fact that owners, Maryport Development Ltd, has asked the council to draw up a development plan to be put before the company in two years time, at which stage it will decide what it wants to do.
Coun McCracken said this amounted to a two-year lease with no real guarantees after that.
But mayor, Peter Cross, thanked Mr Vollers for a generous offer and said the council had to accept it.
Richard Taylor, Keith Little, Martin Wood, Carol Tindall Linda Radcliffe and finance chairwoman, Mary-Claire Telford, all spoke in favour, agreeing that the council could not allow the playground to be closed.
The playground itself sits on land valued at between £75,000 and £100,000.
Clerk Lisa Douglas said MDL chairman, Bill Langstaff, had told her that if the town council put in an offer of £75,000 it would be accepted.
In answer to a question, he agreed that the offer might still be acceptable in two years.
The council will try and get written confirmation as they look to ways of keeping the playground going long-term.
Mr Vollers has agreed to look at ways to keep the aquarium open in order to have staff on hand to allow people to enjoy the playground on long summer evenings.
He said last night that he was pleased with the outcome of the meeting.
He said: “It would be easy to have a gloomy approach but we have grasped the nettle and formed a partnership that will give us a positive future.”
First published at 21:59, Thursday, 04 March 2010
Published by http://www.timesandstar.co.uk
A big hurrah for Mr Vollers and Bah Humbug to all who say He wants the land, if He does good luck to Him, what else would have happened to it, people have short memories, i dont, i can rembember when the area was simply a Dog Toilet !!, i visited the area last week whilst home with my Grandaughter, including the aquariam, where else can you go @ Wintertime in Maryport ??
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A dog toilet?
What's he talking about?
It was Wharton's Foundry before the new houses and aquarium were built?
Does Mr Winn even live in Maryport?
Posted by Harbour resident on 15 March 2010 at 11:00