Mayor slams Reform-led council's AI arena review
BBCNorth East Mayor Kim McGuinness said the fact that a Reform UK-led council was thinking of not building an arena because of AI was "absurd".
Construction of the long-awaited arena in Gateshead was originally due to begin in autumn 2023 but has faced multiple setbacks, with Labour mayor McGuinness pledging millions of pounds towards the project earlier this year.
Deputy leader of Gateshead Council Fiona Pearce said support for the plan could be withdrawn if it was deemed to be poor value.
The newly-elected councillor told the Local Democracy Reporting Service she had asked AI to analyse the figures for the development and it had concluded it would be "better value to leave a hole in the ground".
'Vanity projects'
Reform took control of the local authority following the elections in May, ending 52 years of Labour rule.
The proposed site of the new arena, between the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art and Glasshouse, was cleared by the council several years ago.
More than £20m was spent building a multi-storey car park to serve the unbuilt entertainment complex.
Reform said the party wanted to put an end to "vanity projects" in Gateshead.
"If it is an investment that is going to have a return and if it is going to benefit the people of Gateshead, then it is 100% worth doing," Pearce said.
"If someone cannot provide it with a return on investment, and you usually look at five years for a good return on investment, and it doesn't look like the people of Gateshead are interesting in it anyway, then there is a decision made."
But McGuinness asked "what respect does that show for the people of Gateshead" if there was a "hole left in the ground".
She said: "I think that's shocking, I think it's absurd."
