Lib Dem Councillor pushes back over her scrutiny of Tropicana future

Ahead of a Full Council meeting of North Somerset Council, Liberal Democrat councillor; Cllr Jemma Coles has hit out at criticism of her scrutiny of the proposed Live Nation lease of the Tropicana.

North Somerset councillors will meet on Tuesday 12 May and vote on recommendations that could see world-class event organiser Live Nation sign a lease to run the Tropicana in Weston-super-Mare for the next 25 years.

In a statement issued by Cllr Jemma Coles, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Mid Worle on North Somerset council, Cllr Coles said;

“I’ve come under a fair bit of criticism this week for asking questions about the Tropicana.

Apparently asking for detail, trying to understand the risks, and wanting to make the most informed decision isn’t making people happy and means I’m against the project

Our role as councillors is not to cheerlead blindly. It is to scrutinise, ask awkward questions, test the evidence, understand the risks, and try to make sure we get the best possible outcome for residents.

So I want to say very clearly that I am not against the Tropicana.

I would love the Tropicana to be brought back into proper use. I would love Weston to have something exciting, ambitious and economically powerful on the seafront.

I am involved with businesses in the town that could potentially benefit from more visitors, more events and more footfall, so this is not coming from a place of wanting the project to fail, in fact selfishly I want it to succeed.

But I am not going to blindly agree to something just because I want it to work.

This week I have been asking questions about the business case, the operating model, the impact on residents, the effect on the seafront, the event programme, noise, dispersal, cleansing, public space, and what risk remains with the council. All perfectly reasonable and legitimate questions that do not mean I have made my mind up.

I have also spent time speaking to businesses in Margate about Dreamland, because if that is being used as a comparison, I want to understand what happens there, not just the glossy version.

That is not negativity. That is due diligence.

I know some people desperately want this to happen. I do too. But wanting something to work is not the same as having enough information to vote for it.

I have also had people suggest I should be worried about losing my seat over this.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, I became a councillor because I was fed up with things not being done properly, residents not being listened to properly, and decisions being made without enough common sense.

I am not going to vote one way or the other on something this important because I am worried about my seat.

The people who live near the Tropicana matter. The businesses that may benefit matter. The residents who will carry the disruption matter. The wider town matters. And public money matters.

I would rather be criticised for asking too many questions now than have to explain later why I voted something through without the answers.

So I’m sorry to anyone who feels unhappy about me trying to do a good job, but I don’t think I’ll be changing anytime soon.”