Controversy surrounding funding for a tree planting project in Burntwood that never went ahead cannot be simply dismissed by the Tories, a Labour councillor has said.
Cllr Thomas Loughbrough-Rudd was suspended by the Conservative group at Staffordshire County Council last month after concerns were raised about money he had received before his election.
The local authority had awarded his Nature Nuturing company £924 from the Climate Change Fund for tree planting.
But the county council said steps had now been taken to get the money back after it emerged the project had not gone ahead.
Cllr Steve Norman, leader of the Labour group at Lichfield District Council and a member of Burntwood Town Council, said this should not be the end of the matter.
“I fear the Conservative leadership at Staffordshire County Council are trying to explain away the situation by saying that there should have had better controls over the public monies being given out and that it is being paid back anyway.
“Sorry, they can’t dismiss this so easily.
“When was the money paid to a potential – if not already selected – candidate in the county elections where extra, extra caution should be applied? Why has it not been paid back already as presumably it has only been sitting in the CIC account unused?
“It is also listed as a Community Interest Company despite his declaration at the county council meeting on the 20th May this year that he was a ‘director of a charitable incorporated organisation in receipt of funding from the county council’.”
Cllr Steve Norman
Details obtained via a Freedom of Information request revealed that Cllr Loughbrough-Rudd’s company had received the money as part of an allocation made by former councillor Helen Fisher, who has since gone on to become Deputy Staffordshire Commissioner.
Records show that the company was incorporated in July 2020, but Companies House now reveals that despite setting up the business, the sole director – Cllr Loughbrough-Rudd – did not submit the required confirmation statement within the first 12 months.
As a result, an active proposal to strike off the company is now in place.
“I was let down by other who didn’t give the support I expected”
Cllr Loughbrough-Rudd told Lichfield Live the money for the trees had not been spent.
He added that the failure of the project had been due to a number of factors.
“This project was a group project, although the funds were in my name – I was let down by others who didn’t give the support I expected and needed.
“The trees were intended to be planted on a path at Chasewater, which the rangers and the organisers of the country park were in agreement with. I had hoped this to be part of something much bigger.
“The trees were to maintained by a group of volunteers who sought to build an orchard and would be self-funding. This did not happen and is a major factor as to why the whole thing fell through.
“The reason for the delay was also because I was moving home straight after the election and the ranger who I was in contact with seemed to not have a nine to five daily working hours, which provided a huge problem during a time when we were leaving lockdown and getting our lives back to normal.”
Cllr Thomas Loughbrough-Rudd, Staffordshire County Council
