Wirral’s council leader Cllr Paula Basnett feels an external independent investigation is needed
Regeneration works taking place on Europa Boulevard(Image: LDRS)
People told the ECHO they were angry and upset after an investigation into a £24m Wirral Council scheme revealed it faced problems from the start and things only got worse. The council’s leader Cllr Paula Basnett said she felt an external investigation will be needed ahead of a meeting next week.
Over a year since work started, much of Birkenhead town centre is still a building site. Parts of Conway Street are largely finished while sections are more accessible with new paving laid down along long stretches of Grange Road.
However noisy work still continues with barriers still up and people having to take long diversions to get around.
Businesses have previously complained about the impact this has had on trade and Wirral Council has made efforts to promote the town centre and direct shoppers around. However, the Pram and Toy Centre on Whetstone Lane said they’ll be closing their physical shop due to a drop in footfall.
In a post on Facebook the shop, which has been open for 96 years, said: “We feel it’s the right move at this present time. We hope it’s not forever and one day we plan to return, with what is currently going on around the Birkenhead area, being in business is very difficult.”
Since the publication of the critical investigation report due to the scheme being £12m over budget, the public are angry. Rob Keeley said the town centre was “an utter mess,” adding he was “saddened by memories of how good it used to be”.
Council partner and Make CIC director Liam Kelly said public realm schemes like the town centre project were “risky and rarely on budget.” Blaming cuts to council budgets by governments over the years, he also said: “The council is on its knees with internal capacity.”
Though the issues highlighted in the investigation happened under their watch, former regeneration chair Cllr Tony Jones and former council leader Cllr Paul Stuart have not commented on the findings despite being approached by the ECHO for comment.
Cllr Paula Basnett, the local authority’s leader since May, has sought to reassure the public steps are now being taken to address issues. She previously said the situation was completely unacceptable.
She told the ECHO restoring public confidence required “change at the very top of this organisation,” adding: “Oversight was weak, financial discipline was lacking, and scrutiny by both officers and members fell far short of what is required.
“This is not a matter of poor process, it is a fundamental failure of leadership and responsibility. As leader, I will not allow these failings to be brushed aside.”
She said she wanted the council to set out how issues would be addressed, adding she wants to see an independent investigation done outside the council “to provide full assurance that public money is protected and this council has the competence and culture to deliver on its commitments.”
While some people have welcomed this call for an external inquiry, others are more sceptical. Asked if it reassured him at all, one man said: “Not yet, no chance. I will believe it when I see it.”
Pam Etches told the ECHO: “I think that is a good idea. It’s like investigating yourself. You need somebody with a broader view.”
While construction work is going on, she said she can’t bring her partner into the town centre due to accessibility issues, adding: “It’s appalling. I do not come in. I am going to the market for scouse pies for my partner, that is all I come in for. There isn’t any use coming into Birkenhead anymore.”
Wendy Carvell felt the money could have been better spent investing in businesses in the area, telling the ECHO she felt sad and upset, adding: “When they first built the Pyramids, people would come from Liverpool to shop. We had everything here, loads of people were coming over.”
She said: “It ripped the heart out of Birkenhead. It was still a nice place to come and do your shopping.”
Like Wendy, Gail Williams, who was born in Birkenhead, remembers the town as “the place to come to.” Now, she said: “The money being invested isn’t reflected. People avoid it now.
“They do not come here. They go to Liverpool now. There’s nothing that reflects what has been paid.”
In their investigation report published ahead of a September 2 committee meeting, audit officers said tight timelines drove many of the issues that led to a spiralling in costs because of a pressure to meet government deadlines. There were also issues with the way the project was managed as well as transparency and oversight.
The scheme was around £4m over budget before work even started. Drawings for the project were also unfinished when the project started which led to a compensation claim by the council’s contractor Graham.
The report also highlighted a lack of capacity within the council to deliver the scheme, frustration among officers over its management, a lack of transparency over issues, a high turnover of staff in the council’s regeneration department, and a breach of contract rules. Councillors and the public were also not updated on the problems.