The Mayor has taken conclusive action to surrender the lease of the Paddington property on Midland Road after it was revealed that the building, taken on by the previous Lib Dem administration, was entirely unsuitable for its intended use.

The Paddington was leased in April 2022 under Liberal Democrat leadership, allegedly to reduce the cost of temporary accommodation. In reality, it was a textbook case of political incompetence. The building, riddled with structural and fire safety issues, was never fit for purpose. It was taken on without sufficient due diligence or a full understanding of the legal, safety, and financial implications, leaving the Council and, more importantly, local taxpayers on the hook for spiralling costs.

Following extensive legal and technical assessments, none of which appear to have been properly undertaken at the outset, the Mayor and his Conservative administration have now taken decisive action to limit further financial exposure. A formal lease surrender has been negotiated at a cost of £313,333, avoiding over £600,000 in ongoing liabilities. This move brings closure to a costly blunder and mitigates the reputational and safety risks of holding a structurally unfit, vacant property.

Tom Wooton, Mayor said: 

“We inherited a disaster. The Lib Dems rushed into this lease without checking the basics, like whether the building was actually safe to house people. The result? Taxpayers left footing the bill for their negligence. We’ve cleaned up the mess, protected public funds, and ensured this kind of blunder won’t happen again. Their approach was political theatre; ours is financial competence."

The decision underscores the Conservative commitment to strong governance, risk management, and protecting residents’ money from ill-thought-out decisions made by opposition parties more interested in press releases than due diligence.