There are growing concerns over how a Gloucestershire council is spending millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money to buy property while keeping the public in the dark.
The Forest of Dean District Council will have spent more than £4.2 million on buying property by the end of the current financial year.
The council is buying a property in Cinderford for £2,594720 which is understood to be used as a depot for waste and recycling disposal.
They have also set aside another £1.6 million to further develop the site and local authority-owned Ubico may be involved.
Council chiefs also agreed the purchase of Pyart Court shopping centre in Coleford in December.
And while they have not officially revealed how much they are spending on it, their capital investment programme says it is purchasing a property in Coleford for £1.617 million during 2022/23.
Former deputy leader Brian Robinson (I, Longhope and Huntley) told last night’s (February 16) full council meeting that it was disappointing these decisions were being taken behind closed doors.
He said the public should know about what the authority is looking to spend their money on.
He said: “Going forward, I don’t think we should be taking those decisions behind closed doors.
“I would like to see that, when we make capital investment decisions, ways are found for separating out what is genuine exempt information which should not be shared publicly from actually the general proposals for investment.
“I think the community is entitled to know about it so that they can give us support or otherwise.”
Councillor Philip Burford (I, Hartpury and Redmarley) asked for more information about the capital investments.
He said: “There is property purchased in Cinderford and Coleford, and there are revised budget sums for 2022/23 and a budget item of £1.6 million for 2023/24.
“Could council be told what each of those sums are for please?”
Chief finance officer Andrew Knott said the two property purchases were items approved by the council in the current financial year.
He said councillors should know what they are but that it was confidential and he did not tell the meeting.
The £1.6 million is being put aside for any “opportunities which come up in future”, he said.
Cllr Burford said one of the purchases the council has agreed had second and third phase financial implications for developments.
He asked: “Are those later stage development costs included in the capital programme?”
Mr Knott said there were “rough estimates” but the phases currently are not costed and explained it may be partly funded by another party.
By Carmelo Garcia – Local Democracy Reporter