CRIMINAL NEGLECT

Now for some news of local incompetence.

Haigh Hall gifted to the then Wigan council by Lord Crawford and described as "The Jewel of The Town" with its attendant country park close to the town centre has been found to have a leaking roof.

Well that is a surprise. I went on a conducted tour of the building over ten years ago and was shocked by its condition.

The rooms open to the public seemed in good repair but the back of the building and the attics were in a state of disrepair.
The attic formerly housing the nursery room and servants quarters was a shambles. There were leaks in the roof, but they had at least put buckets under these leaks (big deal) and "acro" supports holding some of the joists up.

I asked why repairs could not be done and was told that a covenant prevented it as the building belonged to the people of Wigan.

One room at the back WAS used as a Social Services office as this was allowed as helping the people of Wigan though why a Portacabin in the town centre would not serve better I do not know.
The famous original staircase was decorated with posters warning of AIDS and other PC nonsense, given that few people would see them. For the "people of Wigan you see"

I wrote letters about this and I believe did an article on this blog about this degredation of our premier building but I heard nothing afterwards. I assumed the urgent and necessary repairs had been done.

Surprise, surprise, only a temporary fix had been done and the building is still at risk unless an estimated £2 million is spent.
Why is this still so? Why have the well remunerated councillors not insisted on the repairs before? or did they even know? Or care?
If they did not is that not a dereliction of duty.

If I knew about the state of the building all those years ago and I am not a councillor why did our councillors not know about our town's best building ?
This neglect of our heritage is nothing less than cultural vandalism and a disgrace to all involved.

Now I know that at a time of financial stringency cost is a problem, but it did not seem to be an insuperable problem for new offices for the overpaid and underworked staff of Wigan Metro which were erected recently.

I was further shocked to hear last night that the stables at the hall were in better shape having been equipped as offices replete with computers and other necessary equipment, for the Metro of course. A nice country setting for these "workers"
Another case of all talk and no action.

Some of the comments in the Evening Post have even suggested demolition.
I am appalled.

So go on Wigan Metro. Try for lottery money. Sack a few of your inspectors and diversity and equality officers (like Elliot? BTW have you not sacked him yet?).Pay your senior staff less. You can find the money if you want to.
How many hundreds of millions do you rake in in Council Tax? This is peanuts in comparison.
A project such as saving Haigh Hall would be doubly advantageous. It would save our heritage for future generations and give employment to the local building industry.

Wigan has suffered much in the past as its inhabitants toiled to play such a prominent part in our country's wealth.

Those parts unravaged by industry and their historic buildings MUST BE SAVED.
The wealth was syphoned out of our town in the past.

IT'S TIME TO GIVE A BIT BACK, YOU OWE IT US.