Council to investigate Newlands allegations

Sept 20, 2000

Allegations surrounding the Newlands SRB board are to be investigated by Bradford Council's Chief Executive, it was decided at a full council meeting last night.

The £17.6 million regeneration scheme has been plagued by allegations of corruption and cronyism since it started. Many have appeared recently on the KDIS Discussion Forum, which board chief Bob Sowman described as "very entertaining".

Lib-Dem councillor David Ward, a board member, said last night:

"Right from day one there have been rumours. It has been a running sore".

Supporting the call for an inquiry he said:

"There have been problems in the area for a long time and they're not getting better. In fact they're getting worse.

"It's got to end. It's got to be brought to an end. We in the community can't do it ourselves."

The Inquiry call was put by Tory councillor Simon Cooke who also sits on the Newlands' board. He said that he personally doubted that many of the allegations would stand up to scrutiny, but said it was about people's perceptions:

"People feel concerned enough to make the allegations, concerned enough to publish the allegations."

He also called for an analysis of a £500,000 council grant made prior to the SRB funding and a review of the Newlands Partnership constitution which ensures, it is claimed, that control remains in Labour hands.

Labour councillor Bob Sowman, chair of the Newlands board, put up a robust defense. He accused Cooke of failing to take action whilst being on the board himself, and failing to even attend many meetings.

"These spurious allegations have been made time and time again", he said, claiming that they'd been investigated on 3 different occasions, principally by Yorkshire Forward, the Regional Development Agency. He said the allegations came from a member of the board, but added "they have never been made to the board itself."

Councillor Sowman said that although the constitution meant that the chair had to be a councillor, it didn't specify any party. Pointing at councillor Cooke he said:

"But you know that you'll never get it!"

He accused the Tories of taking no interest in the Newlands area until now:

"I don't think Margaret (Eaton) even knows where Bradford North is. You haven't even bothered appointing your second representative."

The following motion was approved with Tory, Lib-Dem and Green support and with Labour opposing:

NEWLANDS SRB

This Council is alarmed by recent allegations concerning claimed activities in the Newlands SRB area. In the light of these allegations and accusations relating to the administration and leadership of the Newlands SRB, it instructs the Chief Executive to..

(i) Investigate the allegations in full and provide a written report to both the Executive Committee and the Economic Overview and Scrutiny Committee;

(ii) Assess, as part of a wider review of SRB programmes, the value and effectiveness of core elements of the Newlands SRB Programme.,

(iii) Undertake a detailed analysis of the £500,000 budget granted to the Newlands area prior to the receipt of SRB funding; and

(iv) Investigate ways to make the current constitution of the Newlands Partnership fully subject to the control of the Board and the local community.

On the same day the T&A published a letter from John Smith of the Fagley Action Group and a resident-elected member of the Newlands board. It said:

"We have written to the chairman of Newlands on numerous occasions asking where the SRB money is spent and have not received answers to our questions."

Mr Smith has also written to council leader Margaret Eaton. She told KDIS:

"I am of course aware of the allegations posted on the KDIS discussion forum regarding the Newlands Regeneration Partnership and have indeed taken initial steps to have these matters looked into.

"Two issues do concern me, however:

1. the difficulty of substantiating allegations made anonymously; and
2. that the Council itself many not be - or at least perceived not to be - the most appropriate body to investigate claims potentially involving its own Members and/or Officers.

"It is my view that a full and proper investigation of these allegations may well require an independent body hearing evidence submitted by named individuals.

"Meanwhile, I am perfectly willing to receive any further information that anyone may wish to send me on this matter."

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