Jake slams Rossendale Borough Council for hiding behind Valley Centre FOI exemption
RBC confirmed that it does hold copies of valuation reports carried out on the Valley Centre by DTZ and LSH but that it intended to withhold the information under the exemption relating to prejudice of commercial interests.
The Council’s controversial plan to purchase the Valley Centre from Ashcap for £2.1m has angered many residents who feel that the Council has failed to justify the hefty price tag. Recently the council’s former finance chief, Bob Wilkinson, admitted to the Rossendale Free Press that he did not personally see a site valuation before agreeing the price, but relied on officers who assured him it was value for money. It is understood that some estimates valued the site at as little as £500,000.
Jake Berry said:
“The Council is making a serious error in hiding behind a FOI exemption. It has provided little justification for taking on a project of this size when a commercial buyer could not be found and this is an unconvincing attempt to hide the very basis of its decision-making.
If the Council really is confident about its purchase of the Valley Centre then there is absolutely no reason why local residents who will pay for it should not be entitled to total transparency regarding its valuation. Anything less is prejudicial to their interests.”
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