Saturday 21 April 2018

Was Brent's £17.8m decision on the Pedway steps legal?

Paul Lorber, former leader of the Lib Dem-Coalition adminstration of Brent Council has wrotten to officers asking for a legal opinion on the Council's decision to pay £17.8 of CIL money for the replacement of the Wembley Stadium Pedway by steps.

Lorber writes:
You may be aware that Mr Martin Francis uncovered a Quintain Press Release from 2007 [Ed: see below] claiming a big Private Investment in replacing the pedway to Wembley Stadium with steps.

The Council’s Local Plan Framework from 2009 refers to the Pedway as a developer works to be funded by the developer. There was no indication of any Brent responsibility for this or any indication of S106 funding or other Brent Council contribution. The estimated cost in 2009 was £10 million. 

In view of this, and other Brent Council cost pressures and priorities (including £100 million backlog of repairs to pavements and roads) it seems odd that officers could recommend and Councillors could accept handing over £17.8 million of public money to Quintain for what they claimed to be works funded by private investment.

Can you confirm if legal opinion has been obtained confirming that this proposed payment is legal and within the powers of Brent Council to make. Have the Council’s Auditors been consulted so that they can consider the issue of value for money or/and appropriate use of scarce Council resources.

If this has not been done can you consider obtaining such a Legal Opinion and advice/guidance from the Council’s Auditors.

If you do not intend to obtain the advice please provide details (including email) of the Auditors so that I can pursue this as a local taxpayer.

4 comments:

Jaine Lunn said...

Philip Grant we need clarification

Jaine Lunn said...

Which ever way you look at it, it's not local Brent residents that will benefit, it is only the visitors to the Stadium Events. Clearly if it's not broke then don't fix it. Why Quintain want to change it baffles me considering they are set to ruin the whole look by hiding our National Stadium behind ugly tower blocks. The view of the stadium from the Civic Centre and SSE Arena square has been completely obliterated. I was there last Friday and was extremely unhappy to see that most of the area was in shadow and devoid of any sunshine, and cast my mind back to when it was open with lot's of tree's and greenery, long gone are those days and never to return. Very sad.

former user of the area said...

This is the really sad thing. All the original pleasant features which were set up in the original design are all now being obliterated by masses of tower blocks. The pleasant character and aesthetics has now gone.it is no longer an area for humans to sit and relax and eat an alfresco lunch.

Unknown said...

I'd like to put on record that steps are considerably more dangerous than a slope when crowds of people are pouring out of the stadium! I simply cannot understand the rationale that thinks that steps are a good idea! Thats aside from the accessibility issues for wheelchair users..Can anyone explain this ?