Lib Dem bid to halt St Helen's House sell-off

2.08.33pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 27th Oct 2005

Derby Liberal Democrat Councillors have officially "called in" the Labour Cabinet's decisions over the future of St Helen's House. The Labour Cabinet has decided to put St Helen's House third on the priority list for Heritage lottery funding, which makes it unlikely that the House will get any lottery funding. The Labour Cabinet has also removed exclusivity from the St Helen's House Trust, which means private companies can bid for the House.

The Call in means that the Labour Cabinet's decisions will be subject to scrutiny and questioning from Councillors. The Councillors who have made the decisions on St Helen's House will be being called to account for their decisions.

Leader of Derby City Liberal Democrat Councillors, Hilary Jones said; "We in the Liberal Democrats will be fighting Labour's plans to sell-off St Helen's House every step of the way. We will use every means at our disposal to stop Labour selling off this important piece of our City's heritage. The call in will ensure that the Councillors who have made the decisions on St Helen's House will be called to account for their decisions"

Liberal Democrat campaigner, Wendy Harbon, who has started a petition to stop Labour's plans to sell off St Helen's House said; "My petition has had a tremendous response. People are strongly opposed to the Labour council's behaviour over the future of St Helen's House. Hopefully local people, working with Lib Dem Councillors and others, can pressurise the Council to support St Helen's House rather than sell it off."