Somerset Conservatives are continuing to push for greater transparency over the sale of the Council’s commercial property portfolio after their motion was referred directly to the committee responsible for property and investment decisions.
Cllr Diogo Rodrigues, Leader of the Opposition at Somerset Council, brought a motion to Full Council, seconded by Cllr Andy Dingwall, calling for a single publicly available report setting out the financial details of every commercial property already sold by the Council.
The report would show what each property originally cost, which predecessor council purchased it, its most recent valuation before disposal, what it eventually sold for and the resulting capital gain or loss.
Introducing the motion, Cllr Rodrigues said:
“These were public assets, they were bought with public money, they’ve been sold, in many cases at significant losses, and our council taxpayers have a right to know the full story.
When I’ve asked for details of individual sales, I’ve been told the information is in confidential papers available to members but not to the public. When I’ve asked for some information to be brought together, I’ve been told it’s online and to go and find it myself. And when I’ve asked for a proper breakdown of the finances around a specific asset sale, I’ve been told the team has more pressing things to do.
Well, I say there is nothing more pressing than being transparent with the public about what has happened to millions of pounds of their money.”
Cllr Rodrigues told councillors that Somerset Council inherited a commercial property portfolio originally acquired for around £301 million and referred to reports that substantial losses are expected as properties are sold.
He highlighted the example of the Steelite site in Stoke-on-Trent, which he told the meeting had reportedly been bought for around £21 million and sold for around £14 million, a difference of around £7 million.
Seconding the motion, Cllr Andy Dingwall said:
“The money this council spends is not our money. It’s not the Executive’s money, it’s not the administration’s money, it’s certainly not the opposition’s money. It belongs to the people of Somerset. If the money belongs to the public, then the public have a right to know how it’s being used.”
However, the Leader of Somerset Council referred the motion, without debate, directly to the Property and Investments Executive Sub-Committee. As a result of the referral, councillors were not permitted to debate the motion at Full Council.
The Property and Investments Executive Sub-Committee has executive responsibility for these matters and will now consider the request for the information to be published.
Following the decision, Cllr Rodrigues said:
“It was disappointing that the Leader chose to prevent any debate at Full Council on such an important issue of transparency.
“However, the motion has now been referred directly to the Property and Investments Executive Sub-Committee, which is ultimately what we asked for and is the committee with the power to decide whether this information will be published.
The important thing now is that the committee considers our request and gives Somerset taxpayers the transparency they deserve. I hope it will agree to publish the information in full.”
