West Lancashire Council lose almost £400,000 of grant funding for Ormskirk Town Centre

Our West Lancashire are calling for answers after mismanagement by the Labour-run Borough Council has resulted in Ormskirk Town Centre losing out on £382,000 of Heritage Action Zone allocated funding from Historic England. This is around half of the original £755,000 awarded from a successful Heritage Action Zone bid.

Research by Our West Lancashire using Freedom of Information requests to Historic England reveal that much of this approved funding was never claimed by the Borough Council.  The mismanagement is still the subject of a prolonged council investigation which has now lasted more than 17 months and has still to be concluded.

Our West Lancashire Chairman, Adrian Owens said, “Schemes that lost out on this vital funding included alleyway improvements; arts schemes to link the town centre and Chapel Gallery; and a marketing initiative for the town. For the council to lose out on such a large amount of approved funding through mismanagement is appalling. For an investigation to still be ongoing after 17 months adds to the picture of a council that has completely lost its way. Residents and councillors deserve answers to what went so badly wrong with the Heritage Action Zone bid.”