Real Northumberland Murky: ADVANCE Northumberland’s financial position?

Monday, 9 October 2023

ADVANCE Northumberland’s financial position?

Both the Ambler and Jonny Nash were right,

‘There are more questions than answers’

Advance Northumberland is an arms length series of companies owned by Northumberland County Council, a Conservative Council and secretly run by them.

Mazars, the auditor of both this Tory council and its arms length company have painted a very bland picture in its 2022 accounts with a definite fine balance between assets and debt, Leaving the questions posed by the Ambler regarding land sales of public open space to offset the companies debts very valid indeed.

But noticeably within the accounts,Mazars have listed those who deserted ADVANCE Northumberland when they got into deep water and their homes were placed in jeopardy through some dodgy decision making indeed if fact the recent statements from Councillor Peter Jacskson regarding illegal activities by the Council may refer to happenings at ADVANCE and if he’s ever interviewed under caution the truth may come out.

We Codgers here at Murky would like to ask even more questions than the Ambler about ADVANCE and its trading and we would like some answers regarding the loss of the potential to have 8000 jobs created in the River Blyth Basin which the Government steered much of the £90M of levelling up cash it awarded Northumberland County Council to improve Blyth?, and the rapid resignation of Tory County Councillors from ADVANCE Northumberland’s board?.

Firstly it's interesting that in the press release, (link below) to advertise the success of bringing Britishvolt to Cambois both Ian Levy MP who appears to have been accused by local business people of harassment and Councillor Richard Wearmouth who sat as its chairperson from 2017 then suddenly resigned his post, bulled up the union between ADVANCE Northumberland and British Volt?.

British Volt who spent small fortunes on entertainment particularly the Festival of Speed at Goodwood reported in the FT. So which of their partners went to taste the high life from Northumberland? and who was fearful of leaks regarding the spend secrets? and who brought British Volt to Northumberland?. Is this what Councillor Jackson is referring to?

Were any real checks undertaken by the Leader of Council, Glen Sanderson on the obviously poor choice of people to partner with. How was Ian Levy MP? and Lord Chaddlington involved?

Employees of the company British Volt said after it closed down “People felt they had been sold a bit of a dream during that time, and that they’d been lied to essentially,” and “It shouldn’t have ever got to this point,” said one former Britishvolt employee. “There was already a lot of investment.”, these statements were reported in the FT.

The Council then got involved with an Australian company ‘Recharge’ as a preferred bidder to develop the site. Who was the bid made too, was the Council involved with the bid, was Glen Sanderson part of the introduction of this preferred bidder? or was Advance Northumberland involved? as it appears that David Collard the head of recharge had no money to buy into the scheme and the Council are making an attempt to buy back the site with public money that they may not have either?

The head of finance has informed the Council they must slash back on capital spend. Rumours already abound on social media that the cut back will be so large that next year's Council Capital spend budget will be the undelivered part of this year's budget. We presume that the Council cabinet has chosen to slash the budget by half? If that's the case where will the Council find the buy back cash? and is it the fixed deal of £4M they have published or do the receivers of both failed companies ADVANCE and the Council have brought to the table wanting a premium on top of the contracted price?