I mentioned in my last letter the Vision set in motion as far back as 2002 for the development of the Rutland Care Village followed by a new community centre, state of the art sports centre, arts centre, new Parks School, primary school and the rebuild of the Vale of Catmose College, along with expanding the doctors surgery and creating a minor injuries unit at the Rutland Memorial Hospital.
At that time Rutland Council was under the Leadership of Edward Baines, who had the strength of leadership to embrace that Vision and instruct that a working group be set up to research and implement such a Vision.
Fortunately the first phase, for
the replacement of Barleythorpe Old People's Home and the creation of the Rutland Care Village, was well under way before the Conservatives came to power and took over the leadership of Rutland Council.
The Conservatives, however, immediately hijacked the working group looking at the second phase of sports, community and arts centre by putting several of their members on the working group and immediately replacing myself as chairman.
The result was everything was stalled or has been stopped for the whole of the five years of Conservative power.
What we are now looking at is the closure of a jewel in the crown of Rutland, namely the Parks School with its incredible reputation and expertise.
As to where the community centre is I have no idea. Instead of a fantastic sports centre we now have some piecemeal compromise in the back end of a school that is hardly 21st Century.
It staggers me that when nearby Mountsorrel, population 6,000, and East Leake, population 7,000, can both have fantastic brand new sports centres and schools, that we in Oakham, with a population of over 12,000 and a proposed additional 4,000, still have nothing and are now aiming for some pathetic compromise.
I have no doubt that under the leadership of Edward Baines, the sports centre would have been built two years ago and we would already be building a new school the people of Rutland would be proud of.
If those planning the Big Build are so convinced they have got it right then I offer them a challenge.
We will put up our original Vision against theirs. Let the people decide, ours is cheaper, offers much more and far superior facilities.
I always said there should first have been expressions of interest from different companies in a play-off for the people to see and decide.
Dave Richardson
Brooke Road,
Oakham
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