‘Ingrained culture of complacency’ led to Marble Arch Mound failure

• CITY council leader Rachael Robathan’s claim that the £6million Marble Arch Mound fiasco was a “one-off” does not fit the facts.

Westminster Conservatives have a long record of squandering public money.

Nobody can forget the scandal of the three council cemeteries sold to a property developer for 15p that were bought back by the council for £4million.

And, of course, everyone knows about the “Homes-for-Votes” scandal that resulted in the Conservative council leader surcharged for more than £40million.

The financial costs of the Marble Arch Mound disaster are very clear and will be at front of everybody’s mind when it comes to next May’s council elections.

It is costing Westminster Council tax-payers about £150,000 a month to keep the Marble Arch Mound open to the public.

The city council had planned to charge visitors for entry to recoup some of the £6million cost to build the mound.

But, because the mound failed to live up to the council’s misguided high expectations, the council was forced to scrap entry charges.

The costs trebled from £2million to £6million and the then deputy leader of the council, who was responsible for the debacle, has resigned.

A council inquiry found a litany of basic failures that demonstrate an ingrained culture of complacency. The £6million could have been put to much better use.

For example:

– on CCTV to catch illegal rubbish dumpers; or

– on more police on the beat; or

– on reopening the youth clubs that were closed by the council a few years ago.

We can do much better than this and next May Westminster residents will be able to vote for a Labour council committed to high-quality public services, value for money, and no council tax rise.

CLLR PAUL DIMOLDENBERG
Labour City Management Spokesperson
City Hall
Victoria Street, SW1