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Monday, November 17, 2008, 07:00
Derek Unitt said: "It would appear that several city projects, such as The Life Centre, are being paid for by selling off many of the city's assets. Why is the Life Centre regarded as more important than these assets?"
Ian Bowyer: "The Life Centre… gives us the ability to tackle the problem of the Plymouth Pavilions and the new boulevard linking Millbay to the city centre.
"Leisure provision isn't anywhere near what it should be, and Plymouth has the lowest activity rates of any city in the South West."
Tudor Evans: "The concept was developed under my administration [but] it is now going to be £16million more than the project we were going to deliver.
"A development of significance for sport is long overdue – not only for the population of Plymouth but for students who are thinking of coming here.
"It's not quite true that the city is having to sell off assets to pay for the Life Centre. Most of the money would be funded through borrowing and not capital receipts."
Wendy Purcell: "The Plymouth offer is something that we really want to work towards. It's part of the way we market the university."
Oliver Colvile: "If we want to encourage people to take exercise, we need the facilities."
Richard Smith: "I would prefer to see it closer to the city centre. Plymouth already has more retail floor space than Manchester and we don't need any more shops."
Sid Anning accused city MPs and councillors of promoting Exeter Airport, but never Plymouth's. "Why aren't the city fathers prepared to extend Plymouth's runway?" he asked.
Seabeck: "I have never, ever promoted Exeter Airport over Plymouth.
"Sutton Harbour Holdings [the airport operator] is struggling to make a profit in the current economic climate.
"As for an extension, the Civil Aviation Authority has an issue about the 'apron' zone.
"You also have a very active residents' group in the area. They would undoubtedly have views about any runway extension."
Bowyer: "The future is for a niche business airport. I don't think it's ever going to be for the bucket-and-spade brigade. I cannot imagine there's going to be big support for a Jumbo jet trundling into that airport."
Smith: " I'm a strong supporter of the airport, but the top of a hill isn't the best place for an airport. Many flights are cancelled."
Colvile: "We also need to improve the train service so we can get to London in under three hours, and the A303 should be dualled so people can get here by car even if the M5 has been closed off by a big accident."
Laurence Waring asked how he was supposed to cope with living for eight months of the year at university when he has no means of financial help other than the student loan and a grant or job.
Seabeck: " When I was at university it was free, but then only 10 per cent of people went to university. Now it's approaching 50 per cent and there is a dwindling number of taxpayers because of the ageing population.
"Two-thirds of students get a full or partial grant. All the evidence is that people with degrees earn more over their lifetimes than those without.
Colvile: "We [the Tories nationally] fought the last election campaign by saying that we wouldn't have brought in fees, but things have moved on and we are going to have to accept the inevitability of paying fees.
"We have got to make sure that people from poorer backgrounds are encouraged to come to university, but I'm afraid you are going to have to pay for it.
Purcell: " The University of Plymouth has as a core value that all who can benefit from a unversity eduction should be able to come in.
"We do have, in addition to grants, a number of bursary schemes.
"We're looking at ways to bring the work experience into your academic [life], and trade it for academic credit. We're also piloting two-year degrees to keep debts and loans down.
Roger Palfrey asked: "What does the panel think about the recent statement that voters no longer trust politicians? And should the election manifestos of political parties be made a legal obligation?"
Smith: "I don't think it's right that politicians should make promises to gather votes and then turn their backs on them. I'm in favour of an elected mayor for Plymouth because I don't think party politics should come into it."
Seabeck: " I know that when I'm talking to people I'll talk honestly and fairly. I don't knowingly lie to people, and yet the public think we do.
"After the 1997 election we did everything we said we would do in our manifesto: but it's quite difficult because circumstances change. You can't necessarily set everything in stone."
Colvile: "I'm not one of those people who think we are in politics for nefarious reasons.
"There is an intention when writing a manifesto to deliver it, but things change.
"Gordon Brown promised an end to boom and bust when he came to power, and look where we are now."
Sam Davey asked: "Does the panel agree that Bretonside bus station is an embarrassment to Plymouth and should be redeveloped as soon as possible?"
Bowyer: "The whole issue of Bretonside is linked with the future of the Civic Centre.
"The council planned to move the Civic Centre to Bretonside and relocate the coach station.
"However, English Heritage intervened [by giving the Civic Centre listed building status] and that has considerably increased the cost and time it will take. We have to demonstrate to English Heritage that there is no future viability for the Civic Centre.
"I can't see the council being in the position to press on for at least 12 months, while those discussions continue. Around 2014 is the earliest I could foresee anything happening on the site, especially as we are in the middle of a recession.
Evans: "I don't think the council is trying hard enough and moving quickly enough.
"They need to appoint an architect of some importance to design a new building, give themselves permission to knock down the Civic Centre, then knock it down."
Bowyer [to Evans]: "You are fundamentally misrepresenting the position. The building is listed and that puts it outside the council's control. You are deliberately misleading people."
Chaz Singh asked what Plymouth was doing to ensure that the city would have 'its own Barack Obama'.
Bowyer: "We try to be an inclusive city. We are all in this together. but some of the policies developed over recent years have tended to highlight ethnic groups too much. We need to drop some of the distinguishing tags between this group and that group."
Evans: "The council needs to do a lot more than it does – and I say that about all administrations. Plymouth hasn't had diversity high enough on the agenda."
Purcell: "In Plymouth we have more to do to make international visitors welcome. I don't think they are made to feel as welcome as they could be. International students tell us they don't feel as welcome here as they do in other cities."
Seabeck: " The consensus across all the parties is that we need to get more women and ethnic minorities into the House of Commons but trying to get people to come forward is difficult, no matter what their background."
Alex Barnicott said: "Is Gordon Brown the right man to lead us through the credit crunch?"
Seabeck: "Yes. He has the experience. Other countries are coming to us and asking what Britain is doing."
Colvile: "Brown has been personally responsible for getting Britain into this position, so no."
Evans: "Well, we've got Wee Georgie [George Osborne, the Conservative Shadow Chancellor]…. Yes, Brown is the right man."
Bowyer: " I would say not who is going to lead us through, but who led us into it."
Purcell: Brown has got the Prime Minister T-shirt on. It's his job to do it."
Smith: "No!"
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MAKING A POINT: (above) A question from the floor. Right: The panel considers
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