Opposition in a spin over Guildhall leak
Staffing cuts have been blamed for an undetected water leak that caused thousands of pounds worth of damage at Hull's Guildhall.
The leak from a washing machine in the building's first-floor kitchens was not spotted for three days over the Christmas and New Year period.
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drip, drip, drip: A washing machine leak at the Guildhall in Hull was spotted by a passer-by, raising concerns about overnight security at the building.
Water damage was caused to a recently-refurbished office suite on the floor below, which houses the council's senior officer team.
It is believed some water also entered the basement of the listed building, where traces of asbestos were recently discovered.
Although the leak triggered an alarm inside the Guildhall it did not register on the authority's externally-based security system Civic One.
The damage was only discovered when a member of the public passing the building in Alfred Gelder Street reported the alarm going off.
At yesterday's full council meeting, opposition Labour leader Councillor Steve Brady said the incident was a legacy of a £36,000 cutback in supervisory staffing costs at the Guildhall by the ruling Liberal Democrats.
The cuts initially left the building unmanned on evenings, at weekends and over holiday periods.
More recently, the remaining staff have been paid overnight to resume evening duties.
Cllr Brady said: "This episode underlines our concerns when these cuts were made.
"I have been told there is considerable damage to the roof of the senior management team's offices and to the carpets.
He said there had been several recent failures in the system connecting alarms in the Guildhall with the Civic One system.
"I believe there is now all-party agreement on making sure these sorts of incidents do not happen again and hopefully progress will now be made," he added.
At the same meeting there was also criticism of a decision to allow a council mailshot to 500 homes in the Beverley ward featuring comments from Lib Dem Councillor Dave McCobb welcoming moves to save a threatened bus service.
Labour councillors claimed the mailshot was political and a misuse of taxpayers' money.
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by R Supwards, Hull
Friday, January 22 2010, 11:20PM
“Aye, sell off the guildhall for flats for asylum seekers and put the council in portakabins.”
by Astonomia, East Riding
Friday, January 22 2010, 8:54PM
“There is a simple problem to this. Hand over the 'historic' City Hall to the national trust and run the council from cheaper efficient offices elsewhere. They don't need a pompous over the top building to run a council you need a low cost practical administration and spend the money on services.”
by Arthur, Ezzle Road
Friday, January 22 2010, 8:10PM
“There you go Wise Old Jim, told you so, some moron has to bring the BNP into the debate, bet your ancestors were foreigners, blah blah blah. Thanks for your witless comment straight out of your schoolboy sociology class. You would do well in New Labour, you could be their parrot and talk the same old crap at every party gathering.
First no one says they hate foreigners, second I believe in the brotherhood of man, that all people are created equal, no one is any better than anyone else. Second I happen to believe in re-incarnation, and wouldn't it be poetic justice if Hitler was forced to come back as a blind, black, one-legged homosexual Jew. (Just about every combination the Nazi's hated). Poor old sceptic has been hypnotised by the loony lefty lecturers, the same mindless mantra, balh, we need foreigners for jobs and no I am not a Tory supporter at all, nor am I a greedy business twit either, just a bloke who believes in democracy, freedom, but on immigration we were never asked. That's the real issue. You never know, if the agenda was laid out soundly and sincerely to the British people I might have actually said "yes". As it is seeing as everything these devious weasels do in Parliuament is behind closed doors, slowly slowly catchee monkey, taking us for fools they can get stuffed.”
by sceptic, hull
Friday, January 22 2010, 7:50PM
“Sounds like Arthur and not so Wise old Jim are B.N.P. lovers.Any opportunity to bring in asylum seekers and migrant workers into the story.I bet your ancestors were foreigners who didn't apply to come here but just invaded.I say to you if we send them back then all the other countries who have ex pats in their countries should do the same.We wouldn't be able to cope and the price of our food would rocket because it's picked and packed by minimum wage workers from abroad who can stand being exploited by greedy British bosses”
by Arthur, Ezzle Road
Friday, January 22 2010, 6:32PM
“Steady there "Wise old Jim" my old son. Before long you'll have the arrogant, sneering, "I'm right your wrong" put down crap from the wittering "liberals", who couldn't run a whelk stall, have had jobs (if any) out of the way of reality in education, some social crap or other trendy nonsense which promotes irresponsibility among people. When they screech "racist" at you, you know you are right. Very few people are true racists, however these liberal fascists don't want to know that they only want to stifle free speech and gag you. We'll be watching.”