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| Submit Comments | Comments (39) | « Previous Story | Next Story »

Coun Jim Battle said: “There was a misunderstanding and it has now been corrected, end of story. It would be bureaucratic nonsense to chase a few thousands pounds.

£420,000 'written off' in council mix-up

February 02, 2010

Almost half a million pounds of taxpayers' cash has been 'written off' in an accounting blunder.

Manchester council has overpaid more than £420,000 to regional promotion body, Marketing Manchester, but will not claw back the cash because it would be a 'bureaucratic nightmare'.

The authority is meant to foot the bill for 35 per cent of Marketing Manchester's funding with the remaining nine Greater Manchester councils splitting the bill for the other 65 per cent.

But the ratio has been accidentally reversed in an accounting mix-up, meaning Manchester taxpayers have funded 65 per cent for the past six years.

The remaining nine authorities have been undercharged by an average of £46,000 each over the six-year period.

The error emerged in a report to the Association of Greater Manchester Authorities which established the agreement in 2004 to fund Marketing Manchester , which seeks to attract business and tourism to the region.

The city's Lib Dems have branded it 'financial incompetence' and called on the District Auditor to investigate the overspend.

Coun Paul Shannon said: "This is a scandalous error. Manchester does not have spare cash to dish out to other more wealthy boroughs. With our high levels of poverty, deprivation and unemployment, Manchester needs every penny it can get. “Frankly, Labour are Robin Hood in reverse - they are robbing the poor to give to the rich.

"It's bad enough to lose £420,000 in the first place but to not bother to claw it back is disgraceful.”

Manchester's deputy leader Coun Jim Battle said: “There was a misunderstanding and it has now been corrected, end of story. It would be bureaucratic nonsense to chase a few thousands pounds. It will cost more to administer and correct.

“Marketing Manchester is a fantastic investment which benefits all of Greater Manchester. “We are always pleased to work with out fellow authorities and I'm sure it will be reciprocated.”

| Submit Comments | Comments (39) | « Previous Story | Next Story »

Most recent user comments 25 of 39

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We get the politicians we deserve ie the ones we vote for. Until we get rid of labour, the management of our city will be pathetic.

Groucho F,
5/02/2010 at 21:45

bet its gone to individuals under the guise of miscelaniouse expenses

bandit14, wigan
4/02/2010 at 12:53

IS IT NOT TIME FOR JIM BATTLE AND HIS CO-HORTS TO GO ??? THEY HAVE CLEARLY SHOWN THEY HAVE A GREAT INCOMPETENCE FOR THE JOB !!! THE RATEPAYERS HAVE A RIGHT TO DEMAND THAT THEY GET VALUE FOR MONEY !!!, HEADS SHOULD ROLL, STARTING WITH JIMS !!!

I. Gillan, Tameside
4/02/2010 at 00:50

It all boils down to one thing .......other peoples money....! If those responsible thought it was from their own pocket they would ensure all was correct. Also why didn't the recipient notice, two sides appear to have missed the blunder here!

Mark Ryan
3/02/2010 at 23:28

On behalf of all those of us who do not live in Manchester a big "thank you" to all you Manchester Council tax payers!

gladys rowbotham, Manchester
3/02/2010 at 17:50

" ...end of story. It would be bureaucratic nonsense to chase a few thousands pounds".

Waken up Manchester! That is the contempt that your so-called elected officials hod you in.

When you get the next opportunity vote for somebody else - preferably Tory.

Hurry O'Caine - the Irish Whirlind, Typhoon Tipperary
3/02/2010 at 14:19

no one can be held to account due to unrealistic conditions that civil servants are given.in the private sector you would be fired for this kind of thing.public sector workers would at worst get paid off then given huge pension privalidges.IT WILL ALWAYS HAPPEN WHEN A SYSTEM ALLOWS REWARD FOR AN INCOMPITENT WORK FORCE!!!!

STRETFORDIAN, TRAFFORD
3/02/2010 at 13:50

Who was doing the auditing here? Why didn't they pick up on this "error"? Too many unanswered questions...

Savage Mandarin, Manchester
3/02/2010 at 08:54

But fail to pay just one installment on your council tax.........

gillykins, urmston
2/02/2010 at 20:20

All this from a council who boast about cost cutting ! The same council who have chopped staff's salaries while ensuring upper management keep theirs. MCC is fast becoming a contender with OMBC for being useless and wasteful. There are too few in this city paying council tax supporting the many who don't. I'd love to see a change in the council in Manchester but people will continue to vote for these clowns.

Blue Haze, Manchester
2/02/2010 at 19:04

Why not surcharge the negligent councillors & their officers? They might start doing their respective jobs properly then. Failing that - we should all bear these clowns in mind come the elections ......

Just Wondering?, North Manchester
2/02/2010 at 18:12

was shocked to read this story. But what shocked me the most was how the Labour Deputy Leader of the Council seemed to shrug it off as insignificant and not worth claiming back. Why is the Council happy to "waive the overpayment"? Manchester has one of the highest levels of poverty, deprivation and social exclusion in the Country. This money could be used to really benefit citizens, but Labour's incompetence means it has just been squandered. In Chorlton this money would have made a huge difference to help improve the poor Leisure Centre or to try and clear our drains which are the second worst in the City. I am very pleased that the Manchester Liberal Democrats do not think this is acceptable behaviour and have asked the District Auditor to investigate this scandalous loss.

Victor Chamberlain
2/02/2010 at 17:14

"With our high levels of poverty, deprivation and unemployment, Manchester needs every penny it can get."

I hope they don't they use that slogan on Marketing Manchester literature!

Daniel Pollard
2/02/2010 at 17:13

Court Mayhem As 4000 are summonsed. That was a headline in 2006 in this paper. 4000 people summonsed to court in one day by manchester city council. I bet not one owed a couple of thousand.

Andanotherthing, Mcr
2/02/2010 at 16:26

Stop complaining, unless people start voting in council elections nothing will be done, the councils not a gravy train, its a hugh gravy boat.

J smith
2/02/2010 at 16:02

They don't get it do they? They really don't.

£420,000 is a 'few thousand ponunds' is it? A few thousand pounds t me is £4,000.

No wonder they waste so much of our money with 'a few thousand' here and a 'few thousand' there. What kind of attitude is that at any time, never mind in the worst recession on record.

They pursue old people for a few quid through the courts for council tax - no bureacratic waste of time then is it.

I overpaid £500 on council tax and it took them 6 months to pay it back. However when it was back on track I was late paying it as it wasn't on a direct debit due to the overpayment and guess what? Threatened Court!

Audenshaw Bob, .
2/02/2010 at 15:47

The missing money is more than made up by the money Manchester City Council get from COMS each year which was paid for by the other 9 local authorities.

Knowall, stretford end
2/02/2010 at 15:37

Oh...socouncil tax defaulters are persued through the courts and protesting pensioners are jailed for pennies. But Cllr Battle sees £420k as a few thuosand, no wonder so many got in to hot water recently.

Why is it the end of the story? You know where it is, GET IT BACK as you would from a constituant. This is not The Councils money it is ours.

As for the statement “We are always pleased to work with out fellow authorities and I'm sure it will be reciprocated.” Is that not the same as doing dodgey business with a nod and a wink?

Andanotherthing, Mcr
2/02/2010 at 15:17

Is this not an issue which the MEN itself should appropriately be following up, on behalf of its readers, under the Freeedom of Information Act? I'm sure a lot of people would be very interested to see how far they get...

Savage Mandarin, Manchester
2/02/2010 at 15:07

Hurry O'Caine - the Irish Whirlind, Typhoon Tipperary No doubt that would get built quicker than a youth/community centre for the locals?

Ace Riley, outsidethebox
2/02/2010 at 15:03

Given that only a few Manchester residents actually pay Council Tax ,we in the '"wealthier Boroughs" have been supporting the large council estate that is Manchester for years!

trueblue, manchester
2/02/2010 at 14:12

Ace - or a Pakistani Community Centre. Sorry, couldn't resist.

Hurry O'Caine - the Irish Whirlind, Typhoon Tipperary
2/02/2010 at 13:52

£420,000 would go a long way to giving the young a youthclub in the openshaw area....we need something for the kids in higher openshaw (youthclub) not excuses.

Ace Riley, outsidethebox
2/02/2010 at 13:11

Salfordrat: Bravo! Welcome back to the fold. A beautiful, passionate and well argued post. Hurrah!

Hurry O'Caine - the Irish Whirlind, Typhoon Tipperary
2/02/2010 at 13:08

Its a simple problem get the people who made the mistake to rectify the mistake by working for free to get the money back or they loose their job(simple) mind you its that simple most of the MCC would find it hard to work that out...

It would be bureaucratic nonsense to chase a few thousands pounds. It will cost more to administer and correct.