UDPATED (21st April 2018): Scandal of MORE MILLIONS for Southampton's Arts Complex / Studio 144

The Arts Complex robbed millions from basic Council services

WE BROKE THIS SCANDAL FOR SOUTHAMPTON RESIDENTS - YOU NEED TO KNOW HOW YOUR MONEY IS BEING SPENT

It has now been covered by the BBC in their article here. And the Daily Echo front page yesterday (20th April) and online here.

WHY DID LABOUR, LIB DEM AND TORY COUNCILLORS SPEND YOUR MONEY ON ARTS INSTEAD OF BASIC SERVICES LIKE ROADS, PAVEMENTS, TOWER BLOCK SAFETY, BINS AND CARE?

We've been calling it Labour's Highway Robbery. But it isn't just Labour's Highway Robbery. They were all at it. The other London parties supported more millions for the Arts Complex. And then more millions. While basic services were cut.

Southampton Independents
Councillor Andrew Pope

Southampton Independents didn't support the extra millions and then the extra millions. Instead, we questioned their profligate spending for years. We dug and dug. They tried to stop us.

Councillor Pope says:

"Who is guilty for this outrage? Look at the photo below. They are putting their hands up. ALL Labour councillors. ALL Tory councillors. They put their hands up at the wrong times to throw good money after bad. This project should have been halted earlier, when it was clear it was going to be a disaster. Many opportunities to do so were missed by Labour and Tory councillors. They lacked the leadership to make the right decisions with YOUR money."

Who's Guilty? Hands up! Labour or Tory same old story.

We told them then and we told you then that it was wrong. The Arts Complex is a scandal of epic proportions. But Southampton Labour councillors have tried to cover it up. They have tried to hype it. They have tried to hide it.

But now the Labour Council's own public document, an Internal Audit report, confirms what we have been telling you all along for years, but which Labour has tried to bury.

DOUBLE the original budget.

FIVE YEARS late!

Don't just take our word on it. From the Executive Summary of the Audit:

The text reads (emphasis added):

"The Studio 144 or Southampton's New Art Complex (SNAC) capital project has been on-going since 2000 following successful funding from the Art Council of £5m. In partnership with other bodies, such as John Hansard Gallery and City Eye, the project was developed to create a multi-use building funded by a variety of schemes such as grants, donations and capital funding. The initial projected cost was determined as between £10-15m, however as at September 2017, this has increased by £16.5m to an approximate cost of £30m. It has also experienced numerous delays, with an original completion date of 2012 and following various revised completion dates is due to be completed in October 2017."

The report is not explicit enough about the capital funding. This is public money. This is Council money. If it was funded by private money, or fully by donations, we probably would not have minded so much. But this is YOUR money. PUBLIC MONEY.

And Labour and Tory councillors did not just rob money from the roads... Oh no...

As we have shown on this website by quoting from the minutes of Council meetings, right from the start, MILLIONS OF POUNDS WERE ROBBED from other budgets that could have been spent on the basics that residents want sorted: our roads, on our pavements, on our bin collections, on our care centres.

Labour's bin cuts have caused chaos

Southampton's roads are a disgrace
But good for rubber ducks!

Instead of spending money on the right priorities, the basics, Labour and Tory councillors repeatedly agreed to spend the money on "arts" instead. The budget kept building and building. WHY?

For years, Southampton Independents has worked extremely hard to expose the scandal of the taxpayer millions spent on the "Arts Complex" or Studio 144 as the Labour Council has been trying to re-badge it. Perhaps they want to "re-brand" to distract away from the scandalous failure to control this project and failure to cancel it when they should have. Instead, they threw good money after bad.

We put the scandal on this website.

We put the scandal in the Daily Echo and now on the BBC.

We put the scandal on our Facebook page.

We put the issues on tens of thousands of leaflets that our volunteers pay for and deliver.

We kept on digging. We put pressure on councillors, on the Southampton Cultural Development Trust, on officers of the Council. We were not getting the right answers.

So we tried harder to expose this scandal, with Councillor Pope asking the Chief Financial Officer to urgently review it. Cllr Pope is asking for more answers right now.

And now we learn that even more millions of pounds of taxpayer money are at risk, as shown in the Internal Audit report. And in the Daily Echo and on the BBC.

Labour councillors like current Cabinet Member for "arts" Satvir Kaur tried to block us from finding out by evading us and our questions.

Some senior officers were unhelpful in helping us to uncover the truth. The Council has tried to stop us from finding out the truth. They are still hiding behind "confidentiality". This disastrous project has been totally mishandled by the current Labour Administration - but they were backed by the supposed "opposition" Tory councillors! Labour or Tory, same old story.

Denise Wyatt, Leader of Southampton Independents who has worked in many councils over three decades and is an expert in Governance of Local Government, says:

Denise Wyatt, Leader of Southampton Independents

"We could have joined them. But we are Southampton Independents. We are different. We are here for Southampton residents. And we don't give up easily. We continued our campaign to expose the Arts Complex outrage. And we kept on digging to expose this Labour and Tory disaster. Thank you to the Daily Echo and the BBC for helping us."


Why did we do it? Because it's important.

And because residents agreed with us. Residents that pay their taxes have a right to know how their taxes are spent. Residents demand answers, so we are trying to get them.

But Labour and Tory councillors continued to spend millions of pounds on the wrong priorities.

99% of residents tell us that this failing Council has got the wrong priorities.

Residents say that the Council should get the basics right first. Then arts can be considered.

BUT NOT BEFORE THE BASICS ARE RIGHT.

Are the basics right? No, residents say.

No, the roads are dangerous.

No, the pavements are dangerous.

No, Woodside Lodge, Brownhill House and Kentish Road care centres should NOT have been closed.

No, Labour's broken bins promises were wrong. Residents wanted to keep weekly bin collections. Labour promised to on their leaflets in 2014. But they broke their promise and all Labour councillors voted for fortnightly bin collections.

LABOUR AND TORY COUNCILLORS MUST PAY THE PRICE FOR THIS SCANDAL.

They must explain. Ask them. Here is the mailing list. Email them and ask them why they voted for this outrage?

The Labour Leader of the Council Councillor Simon Letts told the Daily Echo a long time ago, as shown on this website when Denise Wyatt challenged him, that the Arts Complex was "paid for".

Then more millions were needed. Then more. And now more. He must explain. We asked for a formal investigation by the Head of Legal at the Council. It was not properly investigated. Now more millions are at stake, this investigation into Councillor Letts must be re-opened (* see UPDATE 21st April 2018 below).

From the Audit (emphasis added):

"Stage 5 - Project Close
The project is yet to be formally completed and there are residual issues relating to the Independent Quantity Surveyors (QS) report and outstanding claims with the Contract Administrator. At the time of the last QS Report (July 2017) there was a potential for an additional £4.4m to be added to the 'fit out' contractual sum. This figure will likely fluctuate once the Contract Administrator makes a decision on the claims made against the Authority by the contractor."

IN addition, ALL Labour councillors that voted for the extra millions must explain. ALL Tory councillors must also explain.

Our Southampton Independents Councillor Andrew Pope did not vote for these extra millions. Instead, he wants answers on this incorrect spending of millions of pounds of public money. And Cllr Pope wants those responsible for this scandal to be held to account.

We ask the local media to ask the questions: the Daily Echo, BBC, Wave 105, and ITV. We have sent the Internal Audit report to them, having confirmed with the Council that it is a public document.

We hope the media will hold Labour and Tory councillors to account for public funds that they spent incorrectly.

Southampton Independents will continue to lead residents and to inform Southampton residents about this scandal. That is what independents do - act on the issues that matter to residents.

ON 3RD MAY, VOTE LABOUR AND TORY COUNCILLORS OUT ON 3RD MAY AND VOTE SOUTHAMPTON INDEPENDENTS COUNCILLORS IN.

Your Council Candidates are Denise Wyatt in Redbridge ward and Ed Edworthy in Millbrook ward.

Denise Wyatt
and
Ed Edworthy

* UPDATE (21st April 2018): In a meeting on 20th April between Southampton Independents Councillor Pope, Denise Wyatt and the Head of Legal at Southampton City Council, he refused to re-open the investigation into Councillor Letts.

He also refused to re-open the investigations into Labour Councillor Mike Denness, who is a planning consultant and Chair of the City's Planning Committee. Councillor Mike Denness was repeatedly voted in as Chair by Labour councillors. Ask Labour councillors why they think this is right, because any resident we have spoken to says it is wrong.

The Head of Legal also refused to answer questions from Councillor Andrew Pope and Denise Wyatt. These questions included why he chose the investigator Meic Sullivan-Gould, who had been questioned in an investigation by PWC into "crony culture" at Tower Hamlets. Mr Sullivan-Gould left following the investigation, as reported by the Guardian. Why was Mr Sullivan-Gould appointed by the Head of Legal? We still don't have answers.

The Head of Legal also failed to explain why the investigations were not carried out properly. For example, Councillor Pope lodged a substantial Complaint against Councillor Denness, with clear allegations and substantial evidence. Yet Mr Sullivan-Gould attempted to rewrite the allegations in the Complaint, and showed no sign of looking at the evidence. We have gone to the Local Government Ombudsman and the former Chief Executive Dawn Baxendale. Ms Baxendale took no action.

Councillor Pope says:

"The Head of Legal stormed out of the meeting with us, like a petulant teenager, having failed to account for his actions and lack of actions. With highly-paid officers behaving like this, it may explain the poor performance of Southampton City Council."

You need to know that this is Southampton City Council under a Labour Administration. They don't want to account for their failures to you and our City.

Make them pay on 3rd May. Vote Southampton Independents Putting You First to get councillors who stand up for you.

Southampton Residents Say Corbyn Should "Jog On!"

Southampton Independents Emblem

Southampton Independents is a local political party registered with the Electoral Commission. 

Independents across England put local people, not their party, first. We are proudly Independent of Labour and the Tories.

We were created because we listen to Southampton people, we work for local people and we stand up for local people.

Southampton Independents put you, your area and your family first.

With the news that Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott doesn't seem able to add up, Jeremy Corbyn visited Southampton and the Redbridge ward in the Southampton Test constituency.

Our 2017 Southampton Independents candidate for Southampton Test Councillor Andrew Pope represents the same ward on Southampton City Council.

Andrew Pope is also standing in the General Election against Alan Whitehead, Labour's candidate who has been the MP since 1997.

Andrew Pope said:

Andrew Pope

"Unlike Jeremy Corbyn and Alan Whitehead, Southampton Independents are here all year round, not for a flying visit every few years at election time.

Southampton communities are left to pick up the pieces from Labour and Tory MPs making the wrong decisions in Westminster, because MPs are so out-of-touch.

This week's publicity stunt by Corbyn and Whitehead is Labour blaming the Tories and the Tories blaming Labour. People are fed up with it and want local people to be heard.

Like Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour Council are out-of-touch.

Corbyn claims that Labour protects communities.

But the Labour Council are harming communities by making the wrong decisions on spending, closing care centres, removing funding from schools they had already promised, not fixing our roads, leaving children vulnerable and robbing £16 million from the City to spend on an Arts Complex. 

And THEN blaming the Tory Government instead of taking responsibility!

Mr Whitehead seems strangely silent on the Labour Council's failures. That's because he places the Labour Party before local people. In the 2015 General Election, he even claimed on his election leaflet that Labour was investing in our roads. They haven't done anywhere near enough. People complain to Southampton Independents all the time about the state of our roads.

Alan Whitehead has been the MP for 20 years and during that time, our roads have got worse and worse.

And why did Corbyn and Whitehead come to Millbrook to use it as a political platform? Because they haven't helped local people and they are only interested in getting their votes, not in listening to them properly.

Labour quotes figures for all of Hampshire which bear no relation to what is happening here in Southampton.

Residents of Redbridge agree that we have dealt together with local problems, and Southampton Independents have worked with the Police and the local community to combat bus violence, deal with anti-social behaviour with motorbikes and to help investigating other crime such as the recent fire at Redbridge Towers. Residents know that crime and anti-social behaviour have fallen because we have worked together.

Yet Corbyn and Whitehead invite the media to Millbrook to insult us all.

There are still problems in our City, but the people of Southampton work on them together, despite and in spite of meddling from MPs in London.

Like residents said to us after the visit, Corbyn and Whitehead should 'jog on' back to Westminster."

Labour, Corbyn and Whitehead Are A Threat to Our Safety

With today's news that Labour's Shadow Home Secretary Diane Abbott doesn't seem able to add up, Jeremy Corbyn visited Southampton and the Redbridge ward in the Southampton Test constituency.

Our Southampton Independents candidate Councillor Andrew Pope represents the same ward.

Andrew Pope is standing in the General Election against Alan Whitehead, Labour's candidate.

Andrew said:

"What use is a Labour policy if it is never going to be implemented, because Diane Abbott, Jeremy Corbyn, Alan Whitehead and the Labour-run Council lack any credibility because they are not leaders and they cannot add up?

Unlike Jeremy Corbyn and Alan Whitehead, Southampton Independents are here all year round, not for a flying visit every few years at election time.

They were on Kendal Avenue.

Did they show Corbyn and Whitehead the library on Kendal Avenue that the Labour Council closed, despite it costing little money and it being popular with local adults and children?

Did they take Corbyn and Whitehead to the Brownhill House care centre on Lower Brownhill Road, that the Labour Council closed last year, despite the NHS and social care crisis that Labour is always going on about?

Did they take Corbyn and Whitehead to speak to headteachers and parents of children at Southampton schools that the Labour Council last year said would get extra funds for extra pupils, funds which were then taken away later last year?

Did they take Corbyn and Whitehead to speak with Redbridge Towers residents who were left literally in the cold, with no information, after the recent fire?

Residents told me this morning that they resent Corbyn and Whitehead using our area for a publicity stunt.

And it appears that their visit is as poorly thought-through as Labour's policies and their sums on their policies.

Residents have suggested that Corbyn "jog on" back to Westminster and out of our area.

And that Alan Whitehead needs to be voted out at the General Election on 8th June 2017."

Labour Lib or Tory: Same Old Story - Arts NOT Roads?

More and more Sotonians are realising that Southampton City Council, whether under Labour, Liberal Democrat or Tory control, has wasted tens of millions of pounds of public money.

Southampton Independents have been exposing this waste.

Councillor Andrew Pope has been the ONLY councillor of all forty-eight to criticise the Arts Complex spending.

Andrew is standing in the General Election for Southampton Independents in the Southmapton Test (West) Constituency.

And people have been writing to the Daily Echo with letter after letter asking WHY it is that Labour, Lib or Tory, it's the same old story.

They have the wrong priorities.

They prefer to spend money on their "Arts" cronies, rather than on fixing Southampton's roads, or looking after the vulnerable children and adults in our City.

What good is an "Arts Complex" to an elderly person who can't walk because of a fall and is stuck in Southampton General Hospital when Brownhill House care centre for rehabilitation has been closed by the Labour-run Council?

What good is an "Arts Complex" when a car driver ruins their car by crashing it over a massive pothole?

What good is an "Arts Complex" when there is a crisis of safeguarding of children in our City, and OFSTED are called in again to show how the Council has failed?

Below is a statement showing how the "Arts Complex" raided funds that could have been spent on other things.

Things that councils are supposed to do.

The basics, like sprinklers for tower blocks.

The basics, like cutting the grass.

The basics, like weekly bin collections.

The Tories failed you. The Liberals failed you. Labour has failed you.

Vote Southampton Independents to expose all of them, and to bring them to account for their failurs and deciding on the WRONG priorties, and to show them that you won't accept the wrong priorities and MORE waste.

-----

Minutes of Southampton City Council Full Council

21st March 2007

...

102 NORTHERN ABOVE BAR - TO FACILITATE THE REDEVELOPMENT
OF THE FORMER C&A STORE, THE REMODELING OF GUILDHALL
SQUARE AND TO APPROVE THE CAPITAL EXPENDITURE FOR
SOUTHAMPTON’S NEW ART CENTRE
The report of the Leader of the Council was submitted, seeking approval
to proceed with the agreement with the Arts Council of England for new
arts facilities, to appoint a developer to redevelop the former C&A
Department Store and for the use of compulsory purchase and powers
regarding the rights of light of adjacent properties and to refurbish
Guildhall Square (copy of report circulated with agenda and appended to
signed minutes).
RESOLVED
(i) That, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules, the value
of the Northern Above Bar Southampton’s New Arts Complex
(SNAC) project, contained within the Leisure & Culture
Capital Programme, be increased from £11.095m to £13.01m.
The total value of the scheme will be funded from an Arts
Council England (ACE) Lottery grant of £5.724m, ACE
Technical Assistance grant of £120,000, Art Asia ACE
Technical Assistance grant to fund direct purchase of £30,000
worth of loose equipment by Art Asia, SEEDA (South East
England Development Agency) Area Investment Framework
Funding of £200,000, capital receipt from Mayflower Plaza of
£350,000, capital receipt from T&G of £2.8m, direct purchase
of £250,000 worth of loose equipment by University of
Southampton, £1.436m of transferred City Council funding
(subject to approval by SEEDA to award grant funding to
Northern Above Bar regeneration, as explained below),
fundraising proceeds of £1.6m (to be underwritten by the City
Council) and £500,000 prudential borrowing against the rental
income from commercial space within the development. At
the end of 2006/7 it is anticipated that £600,000 will have
been spent, the remaining funding to be phased £1.26m in
2007/8, £475,000 in 2008/9, £3.5m in 2009/10, £6.9m in
2010/11 and £275,000 in 2011/12;
(ii) That, in accordance with Financial Procedure Rules, the sum of
£6.35m be allocated in the Capital Programme for Northern Above
Bar C&A Site Acquisition and Guildhall Square, to be phased
£0.36m in 2006/07, £1.89m 2007/8, £0.5m in 2008/9 and £3.6m
in 2009/10 to cover the cost of :-
a) £1.75m for the strategic purchase of 131&129 Above Bar St
and 1 – 3 Gibbs Road and
b) £4.6m for the cost of remodelling and refurbishing Guildhall
Square
The above is subject to the outcome of negotiations with SEEDA for
a funding allocation of up to £6.35m to the City Council towards the
regeneration of Northern and Above Bar, as referred to in the
separate report to Cabinet dated 19th March. The £6.35m represents
a grant allocation of £4.6m, and potential repayable loan funding of
£1.75m;
(iii) that £200,000 be added to the Leader’s Portfolio capital
programme to be funded from corporate resources, to be phased
£50,000 in 2007/8, £125,000 in 2008/9 and £25,000 in 2009/10 and
be allocated in the Capital Programme for Northern Above Bar
(C&A Site Professional Fees) to cover the cost of legal, valuation
and marketing expenses in connection with the disposal and
redevelopment of the C&A site;
(iv) that approval be given to the City Council underwriting the £1.6m 

Southampton Labour Is Ashamed of Its Failures

Over the last four years since they made the promises that they didn't keep, Southampton Labour have been increasingly ashamed of their failures to protect the vulnerable.

What Jeremy Corbyn claims Labour does ("Labour is standing up for your community") is far from the reality of what Southampton Labour has done on Southampton City Council.

It's no wonder very respected election expert Prof John Curtice is predicting a very poor Labour performance, including the loss of control of Southampton on May 5th. They only have a majority of 2 (25 Labour 20 Conservatives 3 Independents).

This is because Labour has not PROTECTED but ATTACKED your community with inappropriate developments and cuts!

Labour are still trying to blame others like the Tories - who also failed when they were in power from 2008-2012.

But Labour has chosen the wrong priorities, wasted millions due to their serial incompetence and has seen a revolving door of failure at Southampton City Council.

All the while they claimed that they didn't have the money to keep services and do the Millbrook and Maybush Regeneration, despite wasting millions on the Arts Complex - and now Labour Leader Councillor Simon Letts wants to borrow £65 million - after cutting all these services and claiming there is no money/blaming the Tories for the umpteenth time!

It's an outrage - but it's typical Labour incompetence. How many Labour Governments have left our country in a financial mess? And now Labour wants to risk YOUR money on so-called "investment". As they say on TV, investments can go down as well as up - this is taxpayers' money - YOUR money!

And what of Redbridge ward - has your Redbridge Labour Councillor Lee Whitbread protected the vulnerable? No.

Even though he is seeking your vote, Lee Whitbread (have you even heard of him before now?) and the Labour Council have failed to protect YOU, your family and your area.

Lee Whitbread voted:

• to cut YOUR lollipop men and women
• to cut YOUR Sure Start services
• to cut YOUR library and bus passes
• to close Woodside Lodge and Brownhill House care centres

Labour uses weasel words and deception to deny the truth.

But the truth is there on public record in the agenda and minutes of the Council.

Or perhaps Labour councillors didn't even know what they were doing when they were voting these cuts through? Did they read the budget? Did they read the reports to Council? Did the Cabinet sneak the cuts through?

It doesn't matter - the facts are there. They voted for more and more cuts.

The truth is that there is no real difference between Labour and the Tories - they both have cut YOUR services.

Lee Whitbread hasn't properly represented you. He didn't stand up for YOU to have your say at the Regeneration public meeting. He has failed to defend your area from inappropriate developments.

Vote for Independent Denise Wyatt to replace him.

Denise Wyatt - Your Redbridge Independent Council Candidate

Denise Wyatt Your Independent Council Candidate listens to YOU.

You told her Labour's Regeneration ignored you. Denise spoke up for you to have your say at the public meeting at All Saints Church. Independent councillors speak up for you instead of doing what their party tells them to like Labour, Tory and UKIP.

Denise fought for you against Labour Council cuts at Windermere Avenue Sure Start, Labour Council cuts to Millbrook Library, Labour and Tory plans to cut disabled and pensioner bus passes and Labour closure of Woodside Lodge and Brownhill House care centres.

Denise fought for more parking and fought against and changed bad developments like the Test Lane monstrosities and the Council in-filling of our green spaces and parks.

Denise says:

"I have and will put the people of Redbridge first because as an Independent I can! As Independent councillors do in Redbridge and Coxford, I focus on representing my local community – NOT jumping to political party instruction!"

Vote Denise Wyatt on Thursday 5th May - or in your postal vote!


Vote for Independents!