CLAIMS that non-cabinet members could have challenged decisions relating to Lichfield's new cinema have been dismissed by the chair of the local authority's overview and scrutiny committee.
Councillors will meet this evening (14th July) to decide whether to approve an additional £5.5million for the project to transform the former Debenhams building in the Three Spires Shopping Centre.
Developed as part of a joint venture with Evolve Estates, Lichfield District Council is seeking the extra money to complete the construction and eventually take sole ownership of it.
Once complete, the scheme will feature a four-screen cinema operated by Everyman as well as food and drink outlets.
Cllr Doug Pullen, leader of the council, said that members of the local authority had all had the opportunity to challenge the cinema project:
"The governance arrangements were agreed by a cross-party group of councillors, and have always been open to challenge through both the overview and scrutiny committee and the audit committee, but ultimate governance and oversight sits with full council.
"Clearly this is not a position I would like us to be in – and while much of the detail is commercially sensitive, all councillors have been given full access to that information as soon as we had a complete picture of the situation."
But Cllr Steve Norman, chair of the council's overview and scrutiny committee, said Cllr Pullen's comments fell "well below the standard we should expect from the leader of the council".
The Labour representative for Chase Terrace ward added:
"Yes, full council can agree cabinet decisions, but it cannot do cabinet's job for it or make sure those decisions are properly delivered.
"For two years it appears the leader allowed the cinema site developers to press ahead without effective political oversight. He then seemed shocked by dramatically increased costs discovered in February – costs that were only brought to the attention of members and the public last week."
Cllr Norman said he had also requested for the funding decision to be pushed back so it could be looked at in depth.
He added:
"I asked for just a few days' delay so members of the all-party scrutiny committee could examine the report at its scheduled meeting on 21st July. Instead, I was told that a decision on 14th July was 'critical'.
"Cllr Pullen is only now recommending a cross-party group to oversee progress on the cinema. At the scrutiny meeting in June, Cllr Alex Farrell also belatedly supported a cross-party group to oversee production of the Local Plan.
"I hope it is not too late to help the leader, the cabinet and the soon-to-be-abolished Lichfield District Council out."
