Development Agency is 'Santa and Scrooge all rolled into one' say Liberal Democrats

1.54.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Fri 26th Oct 2007

Festive lights in Stroud Green will not be shining this Christmas due to a blunder made by a Government Agency. The London Development Agency (LDA) decided that 'proper processes were not followed' by FinFuture, an organisation it funds, in its project to provide Christmas lights in Stroud Green Road because an advert was not placed in trade press for companies to bid for the contract. This comes in the same week when the organisation was itself rapped for handing over millions of pounds to the Bernie Grant Centre without proper accountancy checks.

Cllr Wayne Hoban, Lib Dem Regeneration Spokesperson, comments:

"How can an organisation, which was criticised for not putting in place proper checks for a million pound arts centre project, criticise Stroud green residents for failing to place an advert for their Christmas lights? The LDA is clearly guilty of double standards in the way it distributes its funds. Regeneration schemes should be subject to the same accountancy checks regardless of the project size."

Cllr Richard Wilson, who launched the campaign for Christmas lights on Stroud Green Road last December, adds:

"Everyone knows Finsbury Park is in urgent need of a face-lift and these Christmas lights would have helped improve the area. Why does the LDA have time to delve into small projects such as FinFuture's plan for Christmas lights, but has no interest in where the big money goes? They are behaving like Santa and Scrooge all rolled into one."