David Morris MP asked a parliamentary question to communities Minister Brandon Lewis to ask if he will investigate the destination of the 9 million pounds spent by Lancaster City Council on the Chatsworth Gardens area in Morecambe.
The answer has been returned to highlight that there are serious questions to be asked as to how the money has been spent in the previous administration.
Brandon Lewis MP Minister of State (Communities and Local Government) said:
In 2012, the City Council successfully bid for £1.9 million of funding from our Empty Homes fund to restore and refurbish 114 rundown empty homes in the area. Under the terms of this scheme, the Council will match the funding value (taking the total investment to £3.8 million). I understand that the programme is on course to meet its delivery targets by March 2015. I understand that there is a potential private partnership to help build 92 new homes in the area by 2016.
However, the picture under the last Administration is less clear-cut. In 2004, the Council was awarded £11.9 million of funding to regenerate this area. The development plans then stalled and were scaled down. The Council subsequently returned £4 million of unspent funding to the Homes and Communities Agency. However, the net outcome under the last Administration, was £7.8 million of public spending (offset by just £789,000 of income from property sales) to make just 47 homes structurally safe. Serious questions need to be asked about whether this represents value for money.
Speaking after the question was answered David Morris MP said: ‘Again this highlights that Lancaster City Council have not been honest with the people in the West End of Morecambe. To send 4 million pounds back to Government on an area which needs investment is not acceptable. And to spend £7.8 million pounds on 47 propoerties which are now in no better state than they were is a vast waste of money which could have put these properties back into use. The homes in the West End are only getting worse since the council purchased them and there has been no work done by the council to regenerate the properties.
I will be campaigning for a council tax rebate from 2012 to now for the people in the West End who have been ignored by Lancaster City Council.’