WARRINGTON Borough Council says it is continuing to work on an improvement and recovery plan following ongoing criticism from local campaign group Stop the Warrington Council Debt.
Members of the group attended last Monday’s Cabinet meeting following on from their “damning” financial report on the debt-ridden council’s projected near £37m overspend.
Following the meeting, they raised concerns about the ongoing unaudited accounts for the past five years and lack of transparency, with items being discussed in part 2 of the meeting after a “Non-Treasury Investments” report, presented by Cabinet member for finance, assets and investments, Cllr. Denis Matthews had been agreed, unanimously in the public part of the meeting.
After Monday night’s cabinet meeting a spokesperson for the Stop the Warrington Debt Group said: “No precise figures were given in the report. The claim was repeated that any losses on investments are covered by overall profit, but with no independently audited accounts for the past FIVE years it is impossible to verify this claim.
“On Together Energy, Denis Matthews avoided addressing the statement in WBC’s 2024-25 accounts that the Council is unlikely to recoup the £18 million initial investment made in shares in Together Energy. It is essential that WBC is transparent and clear about losses incurred.
“STWCD Group reiterate that Cllr Denis Matthews, Finance portfolio holder, should provide the public with a clear, open and transparent report of the return or loss made on each investment of the Council, net of interest and MRP (the money set aside to pay off the loan capital). This is public money that has been invested and Warrington residents have the right to know exactly how it has been spent on our behalf.”
“Apart from Together Energy, this includes Redwood Bank and Times Square, (which is rumoured to be now worth only half of the £140 million invested)”
“Yet again, WBC is being selective about what is being talked about in public meetings.
“Part 1 of the meeting lasted for approximately 1 hour, the rest of it took place behind closed doors in Part 2, so we have no idea what was discussed. Our group has already complained about the use of secret Part 2 meetings and lack of transparency.”
In response to the concerns over the unaudited accounts, a Warrington Borough Council spokesperson said: “Deloitte has been appointed by Public Sector Audit Appointments and have already had initial meetings with council officers to set out their work programme. They expect to report their work programme to the October meeting of the Audit & Corporate Governance Committee.”
OnTogether Energy they said: “We are still awaiting the final statement from FRP (the administrators for Together Energy), and this will be reported in due course to Cabinet.
On items being discussed in Part 2 :”We’re not able to discuss all items in public due to commercial confidentiality considerations, but we’re committed to being open and transparent wherever possible.”
The council is also continuing to work alongside the Government-appointed envoys on their improvement and recovery plan.
6 Comments
Perhaps WBC should consider what is happening in Liverpool. Another local authority with a marked reluctance about being open and transparent with its council taxpayers. Liverpool Council has been told it could be held in contempt of court over failures to provide information to the public quickly enough. In Warrington we have been denied access to all the financial information relating to WBC’s investments for too long. Even now with the government envoys working to put WBC on a sounder footing, council taxpayers are being denied full access to all relevant information.
Sorry can’t discuss this as it is too commercially sensitive…. But we are open and transparent now… Everything is fine, the investments are doing well and making lots of money. Nothing to see here…. ABSOLUTELY NOTHING HAS CHANGED!
“The debt group”? Its a closed facebook group populated by disenfranchised desperate right wingers, some of whom are opening racist. And you give them credence by publishing this crap verbatim.
I don’t know and have had nothing to do with this “closed Facebook group …etc etc” but it seems to me they have legitimate and well founded concerns about the behaviour of the Council. We should not forget that the previous administration was similarly reluctant to be open and transparent about the financial situation they created. Then having indulged in a flawed investment scheme the former council leader and deputy made a hurried departure, leaving others to pick up the pieces.
You can not tarnish everyone in a group with one brush – while I am not a member of the group and don’t personally endorse them, as always, I am endeavouring to be politically neutral (can’t even say independent anymore as they are a group on the council) and there is a lot of concern in the community about the ongoing debt. Warrington Borough Council has provided a response for balance – and the Govt.. has sent in envoys to oversee future financial dealings. So in my opinion, and that’s the one that counts on this news page as Editor, the news item and concerns within it, is relevant.
Wholeheartedly agree. The envoys are not only to oversee future financial dealings, but also to unpick those contributing to our current parlous state; bearing in mind the backlog of unsigned off annual accounts.