£138K Contract Inquiry: Conservatives Call for Transparency from Sefton Council

Questions to Answer on £138K Contract say Conservatives 

Mike Prendergast, Conservative Leader on Sefton Council, is calling on Sefton Council to explain how a £138,000 hospitality consultancy contract was awarded to a company owned by Sefton Council which has racked up huge losses.

Councillor Prendergast said, “On the face of it, there are serious questions to be answered. What other local businesses get this kind of contract awarded to them by Sefton Council?”

“Sefton Hospitality Operations Limited has lost nearly £1.5 million last year, an almost 77% increase on the previous year. This is a company owned by Sefton Council, why should more taxpayer money go to a company that is losing money and is directly competing against other local businesses. It’s not really a good use of taxpayer money.”

“The company also operates Southport Market; at the moment businesses around King Street, Market Street and Eastbank Street are being impacted massively by the ongoing works there. Very little in the way of compensation has been offered to those businesses and yet Sefton Council has found £138,000 to award a contract to a company that it owns, which operates in that area and which loses money.”

“How can Sefton Council find the money to give to its own loss making company when it can’t support local traders being hit by the works on Market Street, King Street and Eastbank Street?”

“I personally don’t think the local council should be running companies in direct competition with local pubs, restaurants and cafes at all. It’s fairly clear with the huge losses mounting up, that they aren’t very good at it.”

“As they are though, we need much greater transparency about how contracts to those companies owned by Sefton Council are awarded.”