To be moved by
Councillor Adam Hug and seconded by Councillor Liza
Begum:
This Council notes
that the cost of the Marble Arch Mound has risen to over £6
million and that the delivery of the Mound project has brought
international embarrassment to the City of
Westminster.
This Council also
notes that the Marble Arch Mound is part of a wider £150m
West End District project that contains significant spending
including the Strand Aldwych and piazzas at Oxford
Circus.
This Council believes
that both Council Members and Westminster residents were misled by
the political leadership of the Council about the progress of the
Marble Arch Mound project. This Council believes that the failure
of the Council’s project management and the gulf between
rhetoric and reality is indicative of a Conservative administration
that has been in power for far too
long.
This Council further
believes that the inability to charge the planned ticket fees and
the failure to secure much of the projected sponsorship leaves
Westminster taxpayers picking up the £6 million bill for the
Mound.
This Council resolves
to appoint an independent reviewer to advise and oversee the
investigation into the Council’s processes, decision making
and organisational culture which resulted in this
debacle.
The Council resolves
not to proceed with further major capital investments within the
West End District project until all reviews of Council decision
making relating to the Marble Arch Mound and associated issues are
completed and have received full scrutiny by Members, and until
proper public consultations on future projects have taken place
with local residents.
This Council finally
resolves to take steps to dismantle and remove the Marble Arch
Mound as soon as is
practicable.
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