THE current state of play around efforts to plug a huge funding gap in BCP Council’s transformation programme has been described as “shocking” and “absurd” by opposition councillors.
Tensions are boiling following reports of a plan B option to borrow the sum required, which is in the region of £50million.
This would be instead of selling off thousands of beach huts to a wholly or majority council-owned company - a proposal which has proved very contentious.
Council leader Cllr Drew Mellor was due to present a report on the beach hut special purchase vehicle (SPV) to a scrutiny committee meeting today.
The paper, which was due to provide the public with details of the plan for the first time, was pulled on Friday.
Cllr Mellor has since said discussions have taken place with Greg Clark MP, the new secretary of state for Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, around a capitalisation direction, which was first muted by his predecessor Michael Gove MP.
Independent councillor Stephen Bartlett and Liberal Democrat member Vikki Slade, the former chair and vice chair of the council’s overview and scrutiny committee, said they were disappointed to be told about the borrowing option by the Daily Echo before being given details from the administration.
Cllr Bartlett, who has been an outspoken critic of the Conservative leadership in recent months, said: “I could see the change in direction of travel from Cllr Broadhead’s social media post at the weekend.
“This is the first I have heard of about a change in plan and the option of borrowing.
“The special overview and scrutiny meeting was to deal with the issues. This was a move to close that meeting down, which I believe is premature.
“I have called for it to be convened as published so we can ask questions of the leader.”
He added: “The whole thing is not how to run a council.
“For the council to be dependant on a ministerial decision is quite extraordinary.”
“It is absurd to expect us to believe it is a ministerial change that has caused the delay.”
Former council leader Cllr Slade said the Conservative administration had spent all the money earmarked for the transformation programme.
She described the beach hut proposal as “ethically questionable”.
“They are going cap in hand to the government and you have to bear in mind that the government needs them on side as local government reorganisation can’t be seen to fail,” Cllr Slade said.
“At the end of the day, if borrowing the money is allowed it would fix the problem, but they are spending too much money and they are not in control of their finances.”
She added: “I think the whole thing is shocking. We would have called for an emergency budget if the paper had gone before the overview and scrutiny committee this week.
“We need to all the details about both the original beach huts proposal and this plan B.”
Cllr Mellor told the Daily Echo that he expects the secretary of state to provide details on if he will give the green light to borrowing for transformation before the autumn.
The current plan was for the beach hut SPV to go through the scrutiny and cabinet process before being considered by full council in September.
Cllr Bartlett and Cllr Slade both said they doubt this timeframe is still achievable.
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