Opposition councillors have called for further scrutiny of a much-anticipated report into a controversial matchday car parking company.
After four years, last week Liverpool Council revealed what it held about activity surrounding the Beautiful Ideas company (BiCo). In 2018, the local authority launched an initial assessment into the company that ran car parks for supporters visiting Goodison Park and Anfield on match days, amid allegations of poor practice but the document was never released. That decision was criticised by the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) who said the council had incorrectly withheld the report.
Now, members of the Liverpool Community Independent group at Liverpool Council have written to Lord Mayor, Cllr Roy Gladden, requesting an extraordinary general meeting to discuss the three internal audit reports released by the local authority. The former Labour councillors have also called on independent running of an investigation mooted by Mayor Joanne Anderson.
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Cllr Alan Gibbons, the group’s deputy leader, said: “These reports have only seen light of day because of intervention by the Information Commissioner’s Office. We believe the long delay in delivering transparency on this controversial company means there should be independent voices in the conduct of the inquiry.
“The people of Liverpool need open governance and it has to be seen to be done.”
According to Liverpool Council, the car parks formerly operated by BiCo are now closed and the authority said it understands the company is in the process of being wound up.
It said on its website: “The council does not have any jurisdiction to do anything further in relation to the other external parties named in the reports.” Dan Fenwick, the council’s monitoring officer will review whether any further action under the members’ code of conduct is appropriate including consideration of any previous action taken.
A summary of the findings of recent internal audit reports will be brought to meetings of the audit committee. Liverpool Council said it complied with the timescale of publishing within 35 days of the ICO decision and used that period to redact relevant parts.
On more than £50,000 of unallocated funding balances from the Walton Breck Road site, identified in the 2019 report, while the council was in “ongoing dialogue” over the money, legal advice indicated that recovery would not be possible. It said: “Further, the Regulator of Community Interest Companies has confirmed that upon winding up of a CIC, any assets must be transferred to a 'similar' organisation.
“For these reasons, the council is not able to reclaim funds.”
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