Council under scrutiny for 'chequebook culture'

INDEPENDENT councillors in Plymouth have raised concerns about projects going vastly over budget and council properties being sold off for less than their value.

- ALISON STEPHENSON

Plymouth's new crematorium, The Park, was estimated to cost £8 million a few years ago, but was completed this year, with several extra features, at just under £30 million. And the costs of the Forder Valley Link Road, which opened last year, cost more than £15 million than originally budgeted.

Leader of the Independents Cllr Patrick Nicholson (Plympton St Mary) and Cllr Steve Ricketts (Ind, Drake) said many new schemes by the Labour administration, including improvements in the city centre, are costing millions more than budgeted.

The Armada Way regeneration, once costed at £12.7 million, had gone through a transformation under Labour and now had a £30 million price tag.

The council held many assets, but some had been left to rot by lack of action, the two councillors claim.

They asked other councillors to support their motion to establish a working group of cross-party members to review the financial performance of major projects and vacant assets.