The great land give away continues!

Coincidentally just after the election, Craven district council have announced the sale price of the approximate 6 acres of prime land on Gargrave Road which it has given away - sorry sold - to Skipton Building Society.

After awarding full planning consent the council managed to get the huge price of around

£140,000 per acre.

Isn't it easy to give away our assets?

Paakwa has to ask what planet these people inhabit, to price our assets so cheaply.
CDC has also agreed to either buy or lease back the new council offices to be built on this site, meaning an unknown debt for an unknown period.

The press release detailing the price is HERE

It will be noted that present leader Lis is full of praise for this venture, stating:

"I am very pleased that the land sale has finally been completed and we can confirm that HML will be remaining, investing and growing in Craven."

Investing and growing eh Lis?
It should not be forgotten that Amber, one of HML's subsidiaries, bought heavily into the sub prime self-certified market from GMAC, along with Bradford and Bingley, (Details HERE)
and what is happening to Bradford and Bingley is all too apparent.

Pink, another subsidiary of HML, also favoured the sub prime market, and indeed was advertising for that very market as lately as last October.(details HERE)
Watch this space for imminent news concerning HML's investing and growing, but it would not surprise Paakwa were HML to post a loss, and indeed to reduce staff numbers rather than increase them.

Meanwhile some insight into the position of HML may be gleaned HERE
and some insight into the machinations of Craven district council concerning the sale of this piece of land HERE

Lis also states that some 15% of the jobs in Skipton are at HML - an interesting point, but he conveniently does not state that around 8 out of 10 of those jobs are filled by people from Lancashire and Keighley.
Indeed it was pointed out by Mark Taylor (agent to Anne Cryer at the time) that it would be far more sensible for HML to build in Keighley as it would entail fewer people having to travel, and Keighley, unlike Skipton, DID have an unemployment problem.

You may ask if this blighting of the finest entrance to Skipton is likely to worry Lis in his ward of Ingleton, Paakwa can only hope that his position as leader is soon to be terminated.

N.B! The price given for this site will not pay the wages of the extra staff taken on by the present chief executive under the watching eye of Lis, for more than 6 months.

This next Paakwa interview is with the celebrated pantomime artist, Dame Carla Loss.
Click on the little arrow bottom left to play, and, as always, any resemblance to anyone living, be they human or be they froglike, is coincidental.
Or act of God.