Lib Dems demand answers over Labour's promised £1.82m to fix Pounds House that "vanished" from the council budget

Liberal Democrat city councillor Dylan Tippetts is demanding that the Labour councillors who run Plymouth City Council explain what happened to the £1.82 million promise they made publicly in 2021 to restore and reopen Pounds House and its gardens.

The promised funds appeared in the council's official budget for a number of years, before vanishing -- without apparent explanation -- in 2024.

Cllr Tippetts said, "In a council press release in March 2021, Councillor Mark Lowry, the Labour council's finance boss, said that the money to restore and reopen Pounds House, over £1.82 million, was 'confirmed'. He even declared that it was 'all systems go!'

"The statement said works were expected to take two years but that was over four years ago. It also referred not just to the house but also to restoring the gardens, all of which Labour has now decided to sell off."

Cllr Tippetts continued, "Money for Pounds House appeared in the council budget in 2022 and 2023. It is there, in black and white. And now it's vanished with no explanation.

"I've asked Cllr Lowry today to explain where this money has gone, in writing.

"This isn't a good look for the council when trust in it is already lacking across the city. Now is the time for Cllr Lowry to step up and be transparent. What happened to the £1.82 million pounds of taxpayers' money?"

Written questions are a way for councillors to require senior councillors who oversee council functions like finance or transport to release information or explain their actions. They are an important way, in particular for opposition councillors such as Lib Dem Dylan Tippetts, to hold those in power to account.

Pounds House, the Grade II listed pre-Victorian villa, has been owned by the city since 1927. The property and surrounding grounds were originally purchased by the city to help form Central Park. Opponents of the sell-off, including the city's Liberal Democrats, want to see the property brought back into everyday public use for the local community, which could be as an events venue, a café, library, or as a base for council services best delivered closer to where people live.

A statement from Labour councillor Chris Penberthy confirmed in August that almost an acre of public land surrounding the property will be up for sale along with the property, something that will reduce the size of the park.

Cllr Tippetts added, "Plymouth Liberal Democrats oppose the sell-off of Pounds House and the public land surrounding it. Labour councillors, who control the council, need to think again. They can choose to do the right thing, and stop the sell-off of this historic public asset into private hands -- or they can decide to press on. I hope they do the right thing and stop the sale."

He continued, "But in addition to abandoning the sell-off of Pounds House, Labour councillors also do need to explain what happened to the £1.82 million that was in the council budget for its restoration -- something they boasted about in their press release in 2021. Where is it? Because they have confirmed that they haven't spent anything like that amount on Pounds House in recent years.”

Anyone wanting to support Liberal Democrat calls to save Pounds House, can sign up to share their support at: https://www.plymouthliberaldemocrats.org.uk/pounds-house