Greens pleased

Aug 9 2006 Wirral News

POLITICAL leaders across Wirral expressed their surprise and disappointment at the refusal of the Neptune scheme but said they were determined to find a way forward for New Brighton's regeneration.

The Labour, Conservative and Liberal Democrats all said they wanted to work with Neptune to try again.

The only dissenting voice in the political landscape was Wirral's Green Party, which said lessons from the "Neptune fiasco" must be learned.

The party's Patrick Cleary said: "As the only political party to oppose the Neptune plans, we are naturally pleased that the Government has rightly rejected a fundamentally flawed scheme.

"The feedback from residents showed that they want redevelopment that is sympathetic to New Brighton's attractions as a leisure and tourism facility.

"The very idea of placing a supermarket, petrol station, car park and a residential complex on the seafront clearly ran counter to these wishes and was driven by commercial rather than public amenity considerations."