There has been a lot of criticism over the old town hall, undeserved I think, don't you people realise that what we need is more housing. The middle classes are crying out to live in sympathetically restored and converted old buildings. Especially in the Village, with my recent pay rise I'll be able to afford to live there myself, then I wont have to travel so far for a drink.

Just think about it for a while, how on earth are we going to get the whine'os and the culinary destitute off the streets unless we provide them with the accommodation they demand. Ar'nt you fed up with seeing them tramping about on the streets with lists of houses in their hands, not knowing which one to buy next, tripping over the homeless lower orders, preventing them getting sleep.

I know a few of you keep harping back to a former managing director who made promises that we did not keep, be realistic, I mean nobody wants to spend money on the arts, and he had to get the protesters of his back somehow, after all, they may have disrupted his continuation in office by having a reasonable point of view.

Just because we said the old town hall was dedicated to becoming an arts centre does not mean we were committed to doing that. They were ridiculing us saying we did not care about culture, we had to do something and the most cost effective solution was to big it up on the verbles, if you get me, and play it light on the actions, I mean who would have thought some one would remember after 25 years, its so unfair.

And anyway we have rejected the change of use of the old town hall to housing on the first application by the developer, that always looks good, shows we care, but they can always appeal or re-apply. I mean housing is our top priority, and fair's fair, if you have a lot of money you need to get something for it after all, so as long as there is something it it for us, what's the problem.

All those arty types complaining, not a handful of votes in all of them, when I hear the word culture I reach for my red pen, pha!