Northumberland Conservatives have forced a public admission of the extent of the complete and utter chaos at the County Council’s service organisation, Active Northumberland.

At the recent County Council meeting a question by Leader of Northumberland Conservatives, Coun Peter Jackson, brought the admission by the Labour-run Administration of the extent of the problems of poor governance and losses exceeding £1 million over the last year.

Active Northumberland had been created just two years ago to run the majority of the Council’s valued front line services such as all of the leisure centres in Northumberland, the parks, libraries and contact centres. Only Labour Councillors were allowed to be appointed to the board which was chaired by a Labour Councillor. Its minutes and financial reporting have been kept from public view.

Yet it has now been admitted that, from the start, there was no business plan. Very soon Active Northumberland found itself in severe financial difficulties. Not only was its Chief Executive seen to resign but all of its Labour Board Members have resigned on mass. This has all led to financial chaos and Active Northumberland having to beg Northumberland County Council for a massive £1m bailout.

In the spirit of openness and transparency Northumberland Conservatives have asked that all County Councillors are provided with a copy of the fully audited accounts of this shadowy, Labour-run organisation, Active Northumberland so that we can judge where this huge loss of public money has occurred. So far these have not been provided.

Coun Peter Jackson said, “Northumberland Conservatives predicted from the start that this was a disaster waiting to happen as there was not even a business plan. Yet even we have been staggered at the extent of this mismanagement.

To lose over £1 million in one year, along with all of the other issues, is symptomatic of this Labour-run Council. Yet no one in the Administration is prepared to take responsibility. We have asked for a public apology from Coun Val Tyler, the Cabinet Member for Arts, Leisure and Culture, yet she will not admit any lack of oversight of the governance or the financial black hole. All residents of Northumberland need to be very concerned indeed of the way that Labour play fast and lose with public money.”