DEVELOPERS' plans to make a multi-million pound profit on a council land deal are being slammed as a 'scandal'.

Crewe's Eaton Street site was sold two years ago and earmarked for a prestigious leisure complex.

But not a brick has been laid and the borough has not received any payment for the land from the company involved, Parkridge Developments.

Now the firm has instructed property dealers FPD Savills to seek offers for the completed complex which will include a nine-screen cinema, restaurant and night club.

They are in phase one of the development which should have begun last month for completion in July 2001.

A second phase is also included in the sale. Parkridge are currently seeking planning permission for a further four restaurant/fast food outlets.

The price tag put on both completed phases by Parkridge is around £9million.

Earlier this year a political row erupted after a council leak revealed the developers had renegotiated the deal. It was claimed that they had knocked down the original £4million purchase price of the former Railway land by more than a half.

"The developers have taken the labour-run council as suckers and have taken tax-payers for a ride. That they have been allowed to sell on the site, at a big profit, before they have even paid for it, is beyond belief," said Cllr Silvester.

He has been voicing concern over the sale and creditability of the purchasers since the original deal was struck.

"That was over two years ago and not a brick has been laid and the developers haven't even purchased the land," he said.

"The way the sale has been handled is a scandal and a disgrace. Several millions of tax-payers' money has been lost and the council has been made to look idiotic."

He claimed that Parkridge, formerly Kingspark, were a company classed as a poor financial risk.

"The sale of the land should never have been offered to them in the first place. The responsibility for this whole fiasco lies firmly at the door of the Labour Leader of the Council and he should be examining his position," he added.

Cllr Kent has dismissed his views as "a mixture of half-truths, pure invention and wishful thinking".

He denied that the offer from Parkridge had been reduced by a half.

He also said it was normal practice for developers to buy an undeveloped site, develop it and then, when the rents started to come in, sell it on. Parkridge had advertised to test the market for the land when fully developed and occupied.

Comparing the purchase price with the one hoped for when the site was fully developed was making a false comparison.

"No money has been lost. When we were asked to lower the price, we contacted other interested parties and none were willing to even match the revised offer from Parkridge. The Conservatives wanted to do nothing with the site in the hope that something would turn up. There is still no evidence that a better price would be found. We haven't yet sold the site, because we are waiting for some questions on licensing to be resolved by the police and magistrates."

"I hope that will soon be resolved and Cllr Silvester would be better occupied pressing those authorities to get this matter sorted, so Crewe Town Centre can have the boost this major new development will provide."

"We are taking a constructive approach to the future of the borough. We're getting the best available return on our assets and providing the facilities that local people say they want,"

No one was available for comment at Parkridge Developments.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.