House of Lords Advisor Slams Council's Treatment of Shropshire Family

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• Publié par: quality-of-life-academy
• Nombre de lectures: 29
• Langue: English

Extrait

House of Lords Advisor Slams Council's

Treatment of Shropshire Family

PR Newswire

STOKE-ON-TRENT, England, May 29, 2012

STOKE-ON-TRENT, England

,

May 29, 2012

/PRNewswire/ --

A key parliamentary advisor has described Wrexham Borough Council as 'out of

tune with reality' over their row with a family about the rateable value of their

home.

Devon

-based Dr John Potter is a member of the advisory board to the All Party

Parliamentary Group for Entrepreneurship and Microbusiness, and has been

championing the use of Redbrook Lodge in Whitchurch as an adult education

centre.

However, owner Mark Layder is embroiled in a legal fight with Wrexham

Borough Council over their decision to class Redbrook as a hotel, rather than an

educational establishment which would fall into a lower category for rates.

The row has been going on since Mr Layder converted Redbrook into his family

home in 2004, a year after moving in with wife Ellen, and is costing the family

£10000 a year.

They have stopped making payments and the council responded by calling in

bailiffs and threatening to repossess the property.

Professor Potter believes the impasse is having a major detrimental impact on

the local economy.

He said: "Redbrook Lodge is a magnificent building and could be a major

attraction if it was allowed to become an education centre for business owners.

"The ridiculous situation caused by the valuers and Wrexham Borough Council

is stopping those business owners coming into the area and spending money

with Whitchurch businesses.

"It could be resolved very quickly by changing the rateable value but the council

officers are out of tune with reality.

"These people are supposed to serve us, not put obstacles in the way.

"It's also flying in the face of Government policy which is designed to encourage

people to set up their own businesses and use educational establishments like

these."

Dr Potter's sentiments are shared by local councillor Rodney Skelland.

Cllr Skelland knows the building, which falls into his Bronington ward, well and

frequented Redbrook regularly when it was a hotel, before the Layders

converted it into their family home.

He said: "It's very unfortunate it's got to this stage, it should've been resolved

years ago.

"I'll do everything I can to help."