Row over hostel demolition

Labour members say the former Peasholme hostel could have used to accommodate young travellers on a budget and other youth groups.

Speaking ahead of the full council debate on the demolition today, Coun Brian Watson said: "It is another reminder of how this council can waste money and waste opportunities for using existing buildings in innovative ways.

"We appreciate the site is proposed to form part of a larger area for development in the longer term, but until that time the former hostel could have been accommodating any number of different groups, from scouts to schools to visiting international students. It could have been a cheap backpackers hostel.

"But rather than make some sensible use of the building, the council saw fit to spend 18k flattening it so the site could sit empty with nothing happening on it for who knows how long."

Coun Watson will put forward a motion that the site be retained for public use until a longer term solution is agreed.

However, council leader Andrew Waller said the executive had discussed the scheme last September and noted the site needed to be prepared, including an archaeological assessment.

"That is always a potential hold- up for the city centre, and as a city centre councillor I would have thought Coun Watson would have known that."

He said Labour members had not raised any of these concerns in September.