TAMESIDE Council’s leader has defended her trip to the south of France to a conference where tickets cost £2,750 – days after raising council tax.
An urgent question has been raised as Cllr Eleanor Wills and the authority’s strategic growth diirector Nicola Elsworth, have been in Cannes at MIPIM – Le Marché international des professionnels de l’immobilier.
Billed as ‘the global urban festival’ it is thought to have been the first time Tameside attended as part of a Manchester delegation, with representatives of six other councils.
Essentially it is a big marketplace at which towns and councils can push the opportunities they have for firms.
But many members of the public, who face handing over more money in council tax, have taken a dim view of the journey.
However, Cllr Wills has told The Correspondent she feels it is a trip that had to be made as Tameside seeks more investment and development.
Indeed, her colleague spoke about Ashton Mayoral Development Zone to representatives of some of the biggest firms on the planet.
Nicola Elsworth told them, while also revealing the Ashton Old Baths scheme may grow: “Having the private sector on board is really helpful in making sure the proposals we’re seeking to bring forward from a delivery prospective are market-facing.
“At Ashton Moss, we’ve the capacity to deliver up to 130,000 square metres of advanced manufacturing and materials space.
“For us, bringing that site forward and the ability for us to bring quality jobs and quality employment as a real key driver to what we can achieve locally in Ashton is really important to us.
“With St Petersfield and the wider town centre, we’re looking at that as one opportunity where we want to bring forward about 2,500 new homes and there will be an element of commercial floorspace.
“We have Ashton Old Baths. Ashton Old Baths has been a real success for us – it’s a business incubation space, where we’ve really fostered digital and creative start-up companies.
“That building is now 100 per cent occupied and we’re looking for grow-on space.
“It is about growth for us but it’s also about inclusive growth. We’ve a number of strongly performing colleges in Tameside – making sure local young people can take advantage of the opportunities that are presented is really important to us.”
Seeing Cllr Wills and Nicola Elsworth in Cannes, so soon after a 4.99 per cent council tax rise, was criticised by Conservative councillor Liam Billington.
He has raised an urgent question and said: “It is unbelievable that with the council in chaos and that woe is me speech she gave last week that she saw it as appropriate to jet off to Cannes.
“I have spoken to other Labour councillors who say they was unaware of this visit. It has not been discussed.
“All on your expense when she just increased your council tax bill. Shameful.”
However, when approached by The Correspondent, Cllr Wills insisted it is an attempt to make Tameside Council’s vision for the area a reality – as things stand, all there are at the moment are drawings.
When asked, the authority would not reveal the full cost, or how it was met. However, The Correspondent has submitted a Freedom of Information request.
She said: “The council is dedicated to accelerating and prioritising growth in Tameside.
“We recognise our huge potential for economic development, creating jobs, and fostering enterprise across the borough and we are seizing our opportunities to leverage Tameside’s unique strengths and unlock its potential for a more prosperous future.
“MIPIM brings together the world’s largest real estate and investment players, providing Tameside with an opportunity to connect with potential investors and developers.
“Attending the event enables the promotion of Tameside’s investment-ready propositions such as St Petersfield and Ashton town centre in the Ashton Mayoral Development Zone, and the regeneration projects in Hyde and Stalybridge West.
“In order to attract the partners, we need to make our vision a reality.
“We will therefore put in the investment into events like MIPIM and UKREiiF with support from MIDAS, Marketing Manchester, Homes England and Greater Manchester Combined Authority to ensure that we can reach the right audience and gain the attention of the collaborators who can support our plans returning on our investment in them.
“The developments underway together with Godley Green Garden Village have the potential to deliver 5,500 homes and 135,000 sqm of new commercial floorspace.
“These projects are expected to create a significant number of jobs with a strong emphasis on inclusive growth to benefit Tameside’s businesses and residents.
“Attracting private investment to complement the £100 million public funding already in progress is essential to support the vision behind the plans.”