Harrogate Borough Council is still counting the cost of the UCI in all ways.
After being widely criticised for bringing the cycling event to Harrogate, the council is yet to explain how much they spent on the event and where that spend went.
It’s understood that HBC spent from two budgets, one of £672K and another of £600K – we have asked for clarity on the spend of that budget.
The Harrogate Informer approach the council some time ago for the financial information. Although we were assured that it could be provided, nothing was forthcoming, so we asked for the information using a Freedom of Information Request (FOI)
The FOI was sent to Harrogate Borough Council on the 18 November, and they responded on the 17 December – that’s exactly 20 days or maximum time, to the day, that they should respond in.
Under the rules of a FOI request
- HBC needs to tell the applicant whether you hold any information falling within the scope of their request
- Provide that information, normally within 20 working days
A spokesperson for Harrogate Borough Council said:
As yet, the Council have not finalised the expenditure incurred in assisting with the delivery of the UCI Road World Cycling Championships.
As soon as the accounts are finalised, they will be made available on the Council’s website.
A report by Ernst and Young, on the UCI, was due to be published in December 2019, this has now also be delayed.
This is a similar approach that the council has adopted around providing final costs of the new council offices.
Our beloved Stray has been ruined by this event. I would like to know who in the council is responsible for failing to anticipate this damage, I’m sure a simple environmental impact assessment carried out before the event would have predicted the damage. There has been gross negligence on behalf of the council and the individuals responsible should be held accountable to the public
Really, they don’t know how much they spent?! Incredible. Where did they find this £million? Don’t ask for a rise in the council tax next year because I will just laugh.