Council remains committed to securing Gypsy & Traveller site despite claims £25k wasted at Croft

WARRINGTON Borough Council says it remains committed to securing a safe and adequate transit site to support the Gypsy & Traveller community, despite claims £25,000 was wasted on a location at Croft.

Independent Councillor Neil Johnson, who controversially leaked the location of a proposed transit site off Kenyon Lane in the village, has slammed the council after receiving a breakdown of the nearly £25,000 spending they made on their plans to site a gypsy/traveller transit site in Croft.

Cllr. Johnson resigned from the Labour Group last year in protest at their plans and revealed the planned location of the site on Kenyon Lane. At the time, it was revealed that £25,000 of public funds had been spent on the project, which had to be abandoned, but without any further detail available on exactly what the money had been spent on.
Cllr. Johnson has pursued the Council for this information for nearly six months and has now received a breakdown of the associated costs.
He said: “It has taken nearly six months for the Council to come clean, but finally this information has been dragged kicking and screaming into the public domain.
“The bottom line is this: they wasted nearly £25,000 in rate payers money, pursuing a gypsy/traveller site which was never going to happen. The Council did not have access rights to the land or any sort of accommodation with the landowner. Nevertheless, they decided to proceed, and the hapless members of the Cabinet voted to carry on without having carried out due diligence on this disastrous scheme.
“They poured money down the drain. Nearly £4,000 on a valuation report, over £6,000 on legal costs, and a further £4,000 on agents fees. Officer costs were in excess of £7,000, and external partners spent over £1,200. This was all redundant because it was never going to happen. Even without the access issues, it was a totally unsuitable site.
“I am outraged that money paid through taxes by my residents has been squandered in this way. Think what could have been done in Culcheth, Glazebury and Croft with that £25,000 if it hadn’t been wasted. Someone’s head should roll for this.
“The Council’s auditors should act immediately and conduct a forensic investigation into this wasted money. How can officers and Labour councillors have approved so much expenditure on a scheme that was doomed to failure? Why was due diligence not carried out regarding access to the site? Why did no Councillors ask that question? Something has gone seriously wrong if money is allowed to be thrown away like this. I call upon my fellow ward councillors Matt Smith and Janet Seddon, to join me in pressing for a review by the external auditors. The local MP, Charlotte Nichols, should also refer this matter to the Secretary of State for Local Government.
“Frankly, those who wasted public funds should have to pay the money back from their own pockets. Why should we foot the bill?”
But a Warrington Borough Council spokesperson responded saying: “We produced the comprehensive information requested by Councillor Johnson months ago. The assertion that we delayed communicating this information is wholly inaccurate.
“The cost incurred resulted from the extensive due diligence that was required for this potential site. The council invests a considerable amount of money each year managing unlawful occupation of council-owned land and we remain committed to securing a safe and adequate site to support the Gypsy & Traveller Community.”