An extra £1.35 million bill has retrospectively agreed to be paid by Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWaC) to its housing provider for repairs already done - with an additional £1.5 million promised for the current financial year.
The funds were approved by the Labour administration at the July 2024 Full Council meeting, but demands for greater scrutiny of the decision-making processes, called for by the Conservative Group, were rejected.
"Our local taxpayers need to be assured that value for their money is being achieved through a full and clear account of why these massive additional sums of money are needed," explained Cllr Mark Stocks when asking for more oversight.
"And the rubber-stamping of these significant payments without a detailed breakdown of what was actually spent is not just reckless - it endangers future capital projects that are vital for our communities’ well-being and the individual lives of many of our residents.
"This is a clear result of Labour's mismanagement and lack of oversight in monitoring the contract with ForHousing, our Registered Housing Provider responsible for the maintenance of 5,300 homes in Cheshire West and Chester.
"The failure to do this highlights the very obvious lack of management the ruling administration has on key budgets.”
Cllr Stocks also added:
"The Conservative amendment called for tighter scrutiny and transparency, starting with an immediate, detailed financial breakdown of the spend against the budget.
"We also requested ongoing quarterly reports to be presented to the Cheshire West and Chester Overview & Scrutiny Committee since it is absurd for Labour councillors to claim they have sufficient oversight when they failed to foresee last year's huge £1.35 million budget shortfall.
"We all share the goal of well-maintained homes for our residents, and this requires proactive management, not reactive measures which means this extra money has been taken away from future capital works that will be needed to ensure long-term sustainability and quality of our housing stock."
Cllr Lynn Gibbon, Leader of the Conservative Group, added:
“Our amendment had cross-party support. Yet Labour refused to support a practical approach to increased scrutiny of residents' own money.
"Incredibly, in return for the additional payments, the Labour administration now proposes to develop a series of principles for a transparent working relationship with ForHousing - seven years into the 10-year contract!
"Our residents deserve better. They deserve a council that prioritises transparency, accountability, and prudent financial management. We owe it to every tenant and every taxpayer to ensure that their money is spent wisely and effectively. Local Conservatives are committed to holding this administration to account and bring back greater transparency for all.”
