Barrow Council is having a gaffe.

This weeks blog has been practically written for me by the blunderful Barrow Borough Council, who not content with selling off land next to the Dock Museum so Premier Inn can build a hotel have now given several small local businesses their marching orders from Waterside House at the behest of BAE Systems.

Now I should point out that I don’t have an issue with either of these companies, I’ve been to a Premier Inn and Lenny Henry sums them up beautifully in those annoying adverts he does. BAE are the towns largest employer and “shipbuilders to the world”, although I have to admit that I’ve yet to have the opportunity to take an Astute class out for a spin down the coast, which is probably for the best seeing is how I lack the training to pilot such a craft and would probably end up blowing up half of Fleetwood (no bad thing, I hear you cry).

Back on to my topic. I agree that the council have to be seen to be doing all they can to attract businesses to the area and creating employment, and my only issue with the Dock Museum development is that it could have been built somewhere else in town on a brown field site.

The real issue I have is with the Waterside House debacle. The council could have easily avoided all the negative publicity by following just two simple steps.

Firstly, I’ve always been of the mind that if you are creating a problem, you should probably try to find a solution to it before ploughing ahead. I would have offered all tenants of Waterside House (including Furness Enterprise, which could still be saved) space at the white elephant that is Emlyn Hughes House, at the same level of rent they pay now. This would mean the council get to fill a building, and would give them additional income as they would have two full office blocks as opposed to one full office block.

Secondly, I would offer all the small businesses in Waterside House a small grant to assist in the move between the two properties. It wouldn’t need to be a lot of money, just enough to help them get back to where they started.

In two steps they could have changed the headline of “Council evicts local businesses” to something like “Council supports BAE expansion” or “Landmark Building filled with tenants”. Granted my headline writing skills need some work, but I hope you can see where I am coming from.

I hope the Council will do some or all the above to help the businesses affected. In the current climate we live it’s these small businesses with their entrepreneurial spirit that will push this town forward. If it does not, then shame on the council for risking the future of 19 businesses and organisations that put a lot back into the borough.

As always, feedback would be appreciated.