Councillors reject bid to rename £350m 'City Sentral' shopping complex
CITY councillors voted overwhelmingly to reject a motion calling for developers to scrap the branding of a planned new shopping centre.
Non-aligned member Paul Breeze called on members at last night's full council meeting to demand the name City Sentral is scrapped.
Developer Realis has been roundly criticised for the misspelling in its branding of the £350 million complex, which is set to open on the site of the current bus station and East West Precinct in 2015.
But the motion won support from just a handful of opposition councillors and Mr Breeze was derided in a series of angry ripostes by Labour members.
Hotpoint HUE61P
60cm electric double oven
Ceramic Hob
Timer
AA rated
ONLY 459.90 and thats delivered Fast & free rom our vast warehouse stocks
Why not visit our Longton cooker centre for a look
Terms:
The best deal is on your doorstep - only condition is you have to be prepaired to shop locally, supporting a local firm and live within 25 miles of one of our branches
How good is that?
Contact: 01782 342609
Valid until: Sunday, June 02 2013
The majority Labour group also voted unanimously against a named vote, showing individual choices.
Mr Breeze, below, told the chamber: "It has been suggested that campaigning to change this name is damaging the development. That's claptrap.
"Dismissing the valid, genuine, heartfelt views of the people of our city is damaging the city council and the developer's credibility.
"The name is alienating and insulting to the very people who are crying out for this development."
Council and Labour leader Mohammed Pervez said: "It doesn't matter what they call it, we're getting a £350 million investment in the city centre.
"What kind of precedent does it set to other developers who want to come here?
"It is a brand, not an English test. Who are we to campaign about the name?
"The important thing is that we get investment in our city and shout from the rooftops that we are open for business."
Labour Councillor Martin Garner said: "I'm not willing to put the investment in jeopardy.
"They can choose whatever name; what's important is the investment and jobs."
Labour Councillor Alan Dutton said: "We have a worldwide company in the city that spells the word phone with an 'F', that's Vodafone.
"I can't remember any campaigns about that and nobody thinks we're illiterate for having that company in our city."
Cabinet members Paul Shotton, Mark Meredith and Debra Gratton also spoke out against the motion.
But independent members Randy Conteh and Dave Conway offered support.
Mr Conteh said: "I'm supporting this motion on behalf of residents, not the city council or Realis. I am putting their views forward."
Mr Conway, City Independents leader, rebuked Mr Pervez for his criticism of Mr Breeze's speech.
What do you think?
More related articles:
Developer rules out City Sentral rethink
City Sentral name row: Stoke-on-Trent council urged to step in
'Half-price Kirstie is only way to get me Shristmas shopping'
Cannes trip to woo Apple, Gap and Zara to Stoke-on-Trent's City Sentral shopping centre
Comments
by DoctorDo
Wednesday, December 14 2011, 7:15PM
“It's the Emporer's New Clothes for the modern age.
Anyone who doesn't 'get it' is a bit thick and not trendy enough.
I think the rest of us know who the thick ones are here.”
by strandedhere
Wednesday, December 14 2011, 6:39PM
“A belated reply to the post about Mohammed Pevez getting a whopping 70% of the vote in his constituency.
Isn't a large part of the selection process for candidates the question of whether the man or woman can deliver votes-including postal votes of course? Mr.Pervez is obviously very good at this,so the Labour party made a very good choice.For the Labour Party,at least.”
by Sparkmeister
Tuesday, December 13 2011, 1:18PM
“Some excellent posts here, following my rather cheap one. theartbay does indeed hit the nail on the head. I was posting in a hurry, and somewhat angry at the comments...
It doesn't matter what they call it"
(Your constituents think it does. Far more of them have made this clear than voted for you.)
Who are we to campaign about the name?
(You're an elected official. You need to listen to public opinion, and act upon it - the duty of a politician. You don't always have to agree with the public, you don't always have to act with the majority view, but the contempt you have shown for the public here suggests you are clearly both unworthy and incapable of representing them).”
by Proud_Potter
Tuesday, December 13 2011, 10:56AM
“As exercises in branding go, alienating a large number of your potentially most sympathetic local stakeholders at the outset of a project does not exactly strike one as a sophisticated or leading edge approach. That being said, treating the views of the local population with utter contempt must have proved appealing to the Council.”
by Jeffrey12011
Tuesday, December 13 2011, 9:39AM
“Theartbay, you have hit the nail bang on the head. We could all have been part of this process of naming the brand and Realis and the Council could have done themselves a great deal of good. Instead they have simply ignored us, the public, as insignificant nothings. By sticking two fingers up at Paul Breeze they have stuck two fingers up to all of us. Prevez and labour and Realis's arrogant attitude has really taken the shine off the development itself in many people's eyes.”
by theartbay
Monday, December 12 2011, 7:00AM
“At the moment it's not a brand - it's a name. A brand is built up over time (so is the comparison with Vodafone a serious one?) and its basis is a promise to customers and is the sum of all communication in the mind of the customer.
In terms of developing the brand it's good, accepted marketing practice for the brand owner to think of this as more of a relationship or courtship between themselves or the brand and the customer. Getting feedback and knowing what your customers think or are thinking about your product or service is vital so you can constantly adjust your brand's product range, pricing structure etc...
By not engaging, Pervez and Co. and Realis have made it clear that the population of Stoke-on-Trent is unimportant in the brand generation process.”
by Nicky_Davis_
Sunday, December 11 2011, 9:06PM
“focusboy:
27% of the Moorcroft electorate gave Mohammed Pervez their vote, this is the highest percentage for all elected councillors in the 2011 local elections (the lowest being 8% of the Bentilee and Ubberley electorate for Alison Wedgwood). The turnout in Moorcroft was 37%. 1066 voted for Pervez, that's 72% of the 1476 who voted.”
by I_Norris
Sunday, December 11 2011, 2:38PM
“focusboy: it was fair for about 25% of the ward voted for Pervez 1066 out 4100, have to wait see what safeguard in development agreement were but in place before can call him idiot really”
by focusboy
Sunday, December 11 2011, 12:29PM
“@InsiderOut
Just as a matter of interest, could you tell me how many people in Mr Pervez's constituency actually voted?
70% of not many is not many.”
by Nicky_Davis_
Saturday, December 10 2011, 7:03PM
“Well said Paul Breeze, I always thought the name was daft:
http://tinyurl.com/cwu72ys
Sparkmeister - I like it, but InsiderOut is right, his electorate endorse him.
Here are some more thoughts:
http://tinyurl.com/ccb57ej”