Scrutiny calls for town centre consortium rejected

Alex Gore • Published 21 Oct 2009 16:55 0 Comments

CALLS for a town centre consortium to be investigated by a council watchdog were rejected last night (Tuesday).

West Berkshire's Lib Dems said the "governance and structure" of Newbury Town Centre Partnership (TCP) should be looked at because of growing concerns amongst the public, politicians and retailers about the "secret nature" of the organisation.

But West Berkshire's overview and scrutiny commission (OSC) threw out the proposal with Tory members saying as an independent and private organisation, the TCP, does not fall within its remit.

Lib Dem councillor, Julian Swift-Hook, who also sits on the TCP as a representative of Newbury Town Council, said the OSC was entitled to scrutinise the organisation as West Berkshire gives it £26,000-a-year.

Cllr Swift-Hook said: "The council tax payer is paying for 50% of this organisation, however there is no requirement for any overview of it from West Berkshire Council. This is unusual when one looks at the other organisations this council puts money into.

"For the most part nobody knows precisely who is involved, who they are representing, who is allowed to vote or what they do."

OSC chairman, Cllr Brian Bedwell replied: "When we set up this system it was clear that we are here to scrutinise public bodies", adding: "You are a member of that group, if there is no governance in place then that is partly on your shoulders."

West Berkshire chief executive Nick Carter said officers and councillors regularly attend TCP meetings but admitted that there had been a problem in recent months with the minutes no longer being made available in Newbury Library as they had been in the past.

Mr Carter said: "They made it clear last week that they have no difficulty in doing so again and that there has been no deliberate attempt to keep the minutes secret.

"They do not really take decisions in the way members feel they take decisions. To say they are making decisions about large projects in the town centre is not correct."

Mr Carter added that the TCP played a largely advisory role and that he was sure members who wanted to see its constitution would be allowed to do so.

He also said a third of people at last week's TCP meeting were either West Berkshire councillors or officers, but Cllr Swift-Hook replied that only one of these, Pangbourne member Pamela Bale, had voting rights.

The TCP's unelected membership includes representatives from both the private and public sector including retailers, the police and churches. It has most recently been accused of trying to develop plans for a public arts building in Victoria Park in secret.

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