Controversial arts centre The Public received a £2 million injection of government cash ringfenced for “grassroots” spending in a deprived area of West Bromwich, the Express & Star can reveal.
A freedom of information request revealed that the Greets Green Partnership gave £2 million to fund design fees, computer and office equipment, gallery fit-outs, legal fees, site investigation and general construction costs at the troubled West Bromwich venue.
Greets Green Partnership is a “community-based regeneration programme” set up in 2000 as part of the Government’s New Deal programme to boost living standards in the area. It runs projects dealing with housing and health, crime prevention, community safety, training and jobs.
The partnership said the decision was made to support the project in 2002 on condition it would help it improve the performance of schools in the area, provide opportunities for school leavers as well as create jobs.
Ally Allerson, executive director of Greets Green Partnership said: “We are working to regenerate a deprived area of West Bromwich, however, it would be wrong to view Greets Green in isolation.
“It is located next to the town centre and is in a prime position to benefit from any plans to radically regenerate the heart of West Bromwich. The board saw The Public building as the first step towards this, and knew that by supporting it there would clear benefits for our residents.”
The Public is now part open, two years before the 10-year Greets Green project draws to a close.
Tony Ward, leader of the opposition Conservative group on Sandwell Council said: “Despite their good intentions it is quite clear that this money would have made a lot more difference to the people of West Bromwich if it had stayed where it was.”
Millions of pounds of taxpayers cash has been used to develop the £57 million project and critics claim this will rise again. Sandwell Council revealed it has spent an extra £3 million to get it finished last week.
Regional development agency Advantage West Midlands has allocated nearly £8.5 million on both The Public building and the art gallery and has so far spent £7,090,464. Just over £1.4 million is still available and the agency has said that any further payout from this will be dependent on the circumstances.
The Government Office for the West Midlands (GOWM) has so far paid out £6,626,582 of the £8 million offered to the project in 2003.
The cash came from the European Union via the European Regional Development Fund 2000-2006.
The remainder will be paid to the council later this year.
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