“Serious failures of transparency” exist around the management of controversial match day car parks, it has been claimed.
In October last year, Liverpool Council released historical internal audit reports which looked at the operation of car parks by the Beautiful Ideas Company (BICo). BICo was a Community Interest Company with links to a number of city councillors. It was launched in 2014 to manage matchday car parks in north Liverpool used by Liverpool and Everton fans.
New reports have shown how the council has responded to a series of recommendations made in the released 2018/19 internal audit report. It found how “the governance and monitoring relationship between the authority and the BICo was limited” and the council was in no position to reclaim surplus funds.
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Responding to the report, due to go to Liverpool Council’s strategic development and housing committee next week, Cllr Alan Gibbons, deputy leader of the Liverpool Community Independents group said suspicions would now remain about wrongdoing. He said: “When our group called an extraordinary council meeting, Labour councillors voted unanimously against an independent inquiry.
“This was inexcusable. Three audit reports had demonstrated problems with unticketed cash takings at match day car parkings, the lack of proper record-keeping, the lack of audit trails, failure to pay VAT and business rates and money not going to designated ‘good causes.’
“For the ruling party to stand in the way of scrutiny and openness was an abdication of its responsibilities to the people of Liverpool.”
The publication of the reports followed a decision by the Information Commissioner’s Office which ruled it was in the public interest to disclose the documents. Cllr Gibbons said the follow-up documents to recommendations in 2018/19 showed “Serious failures of transparency” and further issues remained that did not feature, including potential other sites.
He added: “How can it be allowed that this sad state of affairs will never be scrutinised now BICo has dissolved?” Three Labour councillors were linked to BiCo in the past.
One acted as a director from 2014 to 2018 and two were advisors. Owing to a lack of evidence, they were cleared of any wrongdoing by city solicitor Dan Fenwick.
In its response to the recommendations, Liverpool Council said it will ensure “any agreements between the council and third parties take into account any specific legal or regulatory obligations relating to the assets of relevant organisations, including Community Interest Companies.”
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