Latest news with #AlexCatt
BBC News
03-07-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Norwich City Council owned housing firm recorded losses of £5m
A council-owned housing developer which lost millions of pounds will be closed down and liquidated.A report to Norwich City Council's Labour cabinet blamed changes to the housing market and economy for making its social and affordable housing arm, Lion Homes, show the company made £5m in losses in five years, while homes in one development it built were sold for less than what they cost to councillor Alex Catt said the company had been a poorly-run "disaster" which had made "an enormous loss". The company, which is wholly owned by the council, was founded as Norwich Regeneration Limited in 2015 in the hope of delivering more affordable the venture has faced strong criticism, particularly after the Eastern Daily Press reported in 2020 that the company had lost £6m when homes in Bowthorpe were sold at a loss and the council was council also invested £3.5m in the company and loaned it a further £6.1m to keep it no accounts have been filed for Lion since 2023, Companies House records show it made losses of £5m in the previous five years. Catt, who leads the council's Green group, said "the lack of openness displayed by the Labour councillors who have overseen this disaster that has led to this enormous loss for the public has been striking"."There needs to be a full and public investigation into how this was allowed to happen, and a plan from the council for how it will deliver housing for Norwich at value for money after this failure," he said. 'No impact' Carli Harper, Labour's cabinet member for finance and major projects, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that liquidating the company was "a strategic decision that makes sense for the long-term".Rather than using a private company to borrow money to fund developments, she argued the council could get better deals on loans from the government."It means we deliver more homes at better value for money for the taxpayer if we do it ourselves," she said the closure of the company would have "no impact" on a planned development of 200 houses at the former Mile Cross depot – while the council was "exploring options" for continuing another development in Bowthorpe, where a total of 1,000 homes are expected to be added the council hoped to get back some of the £6.1m loaned to Lion by recovering assets owned by the company including "a significant plot of land". The council's cabinet will be asked to consider voluntary liquidation of the company at a meeting next week in light of a recommendation received from its shareholder states the council will explore "alternative routes" to invest in housing development that are "less risky" and provide "better prospects". Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Council missing data on criminal record checks
A council does not know how many of its staff who require criminal record checks have had one completed, it has emerged. Norwich City Council has been told to urgently find out who has undergone the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) process and who needs one. There was missing data for 41 out of 54 members of staff whose job required an enhanced DBS check. The local authority said: "There are no examples of the council putting anyone at risk because of a lack of DBS checks when they have been needed." Council bosses faced pointed questions at a meeting of its audit committee on Tuesday night. A report presented to the committee said the council was "not able to identify whether all staff in posts requiring a DBS check have had one". It described a process in which the data was manually compiled on to a spreadsheet but was incomplete. A private company has been brought in to complete the process. The problem was identified in July 2023 following an audit into the council's safeguarding arrangement, councillors were told. But the audit report said since then, there had been no progress reports and the issues had not been escalated. Alex Catt, the Green group leader, described the situation as "shocking". "It has been known to the council for at least two years with seemingly nothing done about it," he told the BBC. "The council works with lots of vulnerable people and we need to know the background of the people working with them." When asked how long this situation had been going on for at the meeting, executive director of human resources Dawn Bradshaw replied: "I don't have the answer to that." Emily Yule, the council's executive director of resources, said: "This is the first DBS audit we've had in the 20 years I have been here." The checks are undertaken by the DBS agency, previously known as the Criminal Records Bureau. According to the Home Office, employers can request one in order "to make safer recruitment decisions" particularly when employing people working with children and vulnerable adults. Basic DBS checks reveal spent and unspent convictions, cautions and reprimands held on the Police National Computer. Enhanced checks include "additional information held by local police that is considered relevant to a specific role". A spokesperson for Norwich City Council said DBS checks were a "serious matter to get right" and claimed that "all of our people who needed a DBS check, have had one". "There are no examples of the council putting anyone at risk because of a lack of DBS checks when they have been needed," the statement continued. "We fully accept we were slow in providing information to audit colleagues about DBS checks and that our record keeping needed to be improved. "Both of these matters have been picked up and are successfully being addressed." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X. Norwich City Council Disclosure and Barring service
BBC News
14-05-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Norwich council missing data on criminal record checks
A council does not know how many of its staff who require criminal record checks have had one completed, it has City Council has been told to urgently find out who has undergone the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) process and who needs was missing data for 41 out of 54 members of staff whose job required an enhanced DBS local authority said: "There are no examples of the council putting anyone at risk because of a lack of DBS checks when they have been needed." Council bosses faced pointed questions at a meeting of its audit committee on Tuesday night.A report presented to the committee said the council was "not able to identify whether all staff in posts requiring a DBS check have had one".It described a process in which the data was manually compiled on to a spreadsheet but was incomplete.A private company has been brought in to complete the process. The problem was identified in July 2023 following an audit into the council's safeguarding arrangement, councillors were the audit report said since then, there had been no progress reports and the issues had not been Catt, the Green group leader, described the situation as "shocking"."It has been known to the council for at least two years with seemingly nothing done about it," he told the BBC."The council works with lots of vulnerable people and we need to know the background of the people working with them." When asked how long this situation had been going on for at the meeting, executive director of human resources Dawn Bradshaw replied: "I don't have the answer to that."Emily Yule, the council's executive director of resources, said: "This is the first DBS audit we've had in the 20 years I have been here." The checks are undertaken by the DBS agency, previously known as the Criminal Records to the Home Office, employers can request one in order "to make safer recruitment decisions" particularly when employing people working with children and vulnerable DBS checks reveal spent and unspent convictions, cautions and reprimands held on the Police National checks include "additional information held by local police that is considered relevant to a specific role". A spokesperson for Norwich City Council said DBS checks were a "serious matter to get right" and claimed that "all of our people who needed a DBS check, have had one"."There are no examples of the council putting anyone at risk because of a lack of DBS checks when they have been needed," the statement continued."We fully accept we were slow in providing information to audit colleagues about DBS checks and that our record keeping needed to be improved."Both of these matters have been picked up and are successfully being addressed." Follow Norfolk news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
