Time to map out a plan for Villa's future
- Says blogger Matthew Turvey
The Public chief’s large pay off
Wednesday 9th December 2009, 11:00AM GMT.
The chief executive of a taxpayer-funded organisation that was accused of allowing Black Country arts centre The Public to fail will get a £211,000 pay-off after being made redundant.
Sally Luton, chief executive of Arts Council England, West Midlands, will receive the financial package when she steps down in June 2010 as part of a restructure.
The 57-year-old has been criticised for presiding over the Arts Council in the run up to the opening of troubled West Bromwich arts centre, which has cost £72million and is now £49million over budget.
Ms Luton, a former craft gallery and restaurant boss, was in charge of the West Midlands arm of the Arts Council when The Public went into administration in 2006, with chief executive Sylvia King forced out along with half of her staff.
But today an answer to a parliamentary question from West Bromwich East MP Tom Watson reveals that Ms Luton, who is paid £82,325 a year, will get 18 months salary plus a £91,008.60 lump sum from her pension when she leaves, bringing her one-off departure fee to £211,480.60.
She will also get £33,080.37 a year pension for the rest of her life. This will cost the Arts Council, funded by taxpayers, £86,229.
To date the Arts Council has not spoken about its involvement during the creation of The Public, which began with Sylvia King’s Jubilee Arts project in 1995.
Mr Watson said: “Given the sensitivity around the Arts Council’s involvement in The Public and the cost of that, I think people will react with fury that in an economic downturn, this kind of severance package has been paid in the public sector.”
Jo Forrest, of Arts Council England, West Midlands, said: “Funding decisions made by the Arts Council are not made by individuals. In cases where large awards are made, then they are ratified by the Arts Council’s National Council.
“The development of The Public was undertaken by an independent organisation funded by the Arts Council. We worked hard to avoid The Public going into administration, but ultimately the decision to put the organisation into administration was taken by the board of The Public.
“Since then we have worked very hard with all of the stakeholders to remedy the situation.”
Politicians and campaigners have accused Arts Council England of throwing money at The Public.
The Arts Council handed over £32m of taxpayers’ money to get it open.
It opened behind schedule last year but its centrepiece gallery only launched in August due to technical problems. A final funding award of £3million was made by the Arts Council in July after Sandwell Council took over the venue.
Sponsored Links
Business Awards
Read the full story here
Full coverage of awards celebrating the region's best businesses.
Lifestyle
Interactive Dining Out map
Hundreds of reviews by the Express & Star and Shropshire Star's teams to help you decide where to eat.
LIVE traffic updates
Road, rail and airport - latest
Our new, live traffic and travel updates service - check before you set out.
OUR NEW APP
Get the new E&S app
Download the Express & Star’s new app to your iPad or iPhone to get one week of access to our digital newspapers absolutely FREE.
expressandstar.com
Popular sections
Useful links
What can you say?? No suprises anymore from this government are there? How they love to reward the useless in society with tax payers money. When will it end i ask??
I’d like to think our votes at the next general election will make a difference, but I doubt we will stop these criminals looting our money and spending it on useless individuals.
Report abuse
More money down the drain. Tony the coat wants his money back!
Report abuse
i think i am going to vote for the B N P next time.
Report abuse
Don’t think the tories will make alot of difference to be honest. Can you trust any politician?? Seems to me the higher up the pay scale you are the less accountable you are for any cock ups.
Report abuse
Of course councils are generous when giving away other people’s money because they realize that when their jobs are scrutiized they will be next.
Report abuse
To be fair, the amount of money that was slushing around these ‘art councils’ and the like were ridiculous prior to the awarding of the olympic games. People of dubious business pedigree were making decisions with massive funds at their disposal.
The Public is probably the most high profile within the midlands of how money has been wasted. I am sure that it is not the only one though. I’m afraid thats where councils, goverment groups etc fail us as there is no real accountability.
72 million could of really made a difference in so many aspects of peoples lives in the area
Report abuse
words fail me one way or another the public has cost the tax payers of this country huge amounts of money . if this person was made redundant why does she not get same redundancy payment as any other ordinary worker i want to know how many years service she has got get this sort of money it seems she must have worked for about a hundred years come on taxpayres make them stop paying this slly money
Report abuse
and heres me thinking the countries in a financial crisis
Report abuse
alright for some ay
Report abuse
Jon – have you even read the article?
Or are you allowing your prejudice to make up your mind first, and then making comments which have nothing whatsoever to do with facts.
In other words – the Arts Council board decided the severance package.
That’s what it says in the article – I suggest you read it.
Then, once you’ve read it, perhaps you could explain how a decision made by the board of the Arts Council has anything whatsoever to do with the government.
Another clue could be that Tom Watson, a Labour MP (in other words, part of the government) is asking a question in Parliament.
Again, further evidence that you have either not read, or at best, not understood the article – yet you still feel able to comment on it.
I pity the country that has people like you who can vote.
Report abuse
Arts Council, Government.
It matters not. Wasters and pocket liners the lot of them.
Come the revolution brothers and sisters, let’s have em up against the wall.
Report abuse
“and heres me thinking the countries in a financial crisis”
Do you mean educational crisis?
Report abuse
I see Connor is ever ready with the tirade and the “I am so great and you are so thick comment”. Instead of trying tro convince us how great you are, answer a very simple question. Who funds the Arts Council. If you answer the government then where does their finance come from ? Perhaps it is you Connor that should read the articles.
Report abuse
I think you should read some of the other comments connor Davies!! If you don’t know where your money goes and comes from then its you this country should pity if you are a voter.
The arts council is funded by tax payers money. Where does that come from connor?? See anyone standing outside the public shaking a tin?? No of course not….couldn’t be the government that gives the arts council grants money by any chance???
I’ve read the article and many like it over the last few months and I do know one thing. My money has been wasted on useless people that the public has empowered to do a job. Including the councillors who vetoed this monstrocity.
The severence package you mention Connor is my hard earned money going down the drain on someone who failed in that job. Don’t worry though Connor it’s only yours and my money, and they seem to have plenty of it to waste don’t they? So if you want to talk a load of rubbish feel free. you just show yourself up for the idiot you are..simples!!!
Report abuse
Sally Luton – says it all doesn’t it ‘jobs for the girls’ – why can’t this woman have the basic pay off for being useless?
Report abuse
Connor Davies your so right about Jon, the problem is that Jon thought he could be as intelligent as you are, how stupid is he? Doesn’t he know that we could never have two people on the planet with your level of education?
Jon didn’t you know that Gordon Brown doesn’t have any control over the Arts Council and doesn’t give them any money for their ludicrous projects? They have their own money tree Jon.
Connor Davies your comment “Jon – have you even read the article? Another clue could be that Tom Watson, a Labour MP (in other words, part of the government) is asking a question in Parliament”
Eeerrrrr “The UK Minister for Digital Engagement Tom Watson is set to resign from government for the second time according to reports in several newspapers”
Connor Davies, so what part of the government is he?? Wonder if Gordon knows Tom Watson is part of his government????
I would like to know who exactly draws up these contracts. And who commits us the Electorate to finance them at our cost?
“The Borough of Sandwell is divided into 24 wards and is represented by 72 ward councillors.
I live in Bearwood, we have 3 councillors, who were elected to supposedly represent us, I have yet to hear of any one of them who raised their heads above the parapet to look after my interests or to object to Sandwell’s Labour Council, pouring £72 million of our money down the drain, the only thing they are interested in is inflating their bank accounts.
Jim of Bearwood.
Report abuse
Jim of Bearwood – hear hear.
Report abuse
JIM-Sorry but you are wrong on this occasion.. The arts council distributes government money across the country to different arts organisations and projects including theatres. Take a look at articles in the independant.
Report abuse
More Labour waste. Practically burning away your hard earned taxes.
I wonder how much of a rebate £72m would give each household in Sandwell. Well, 144,000 could get £500 back to help them out with Christmas for a start, or help to pay the bills.
Profligate, disgusting waste.
Who voted them in? Who will be foolish enough to ever vote them in again?
Anyway, I’m off to feed the ducks. Hope I don’t get fined by our ‘tough on crime, tough on the causes of crime’ government.
Report abuse
JIM-Arts coucil has two sources of finance.
1.-Grant in aid from the treasury or commonly known as the government (Tax payers money)
1.The National Lottery (Once again mine and your money if you play it)
Report abuse
Jon of course the Arts Council is using Government money, or more accurately the Arts Council is using yours and my money, money that the Government took off us in the form of tax, when I was paying £1-10 a litre for my fuel, I know 70% of that money is going straight to the government to be wasted on loony projects like this.
The only purpose for building this abortion was to serve as a monument to Labour Rule over the peasants.
This was just an ego boost for Sandwell Labour Councillors, nothing more nothing less!!!!!!!!!!
Connor Davies I guess you must live in another country, with a different Government system than the people in the UK if you believe that the Arts Council isn’t part of the governments slush fund and isn’t taking money from us taxpayers.
Jim of Bearwood.
Report abuse
You thought the Millenium Dome was the end of the story? At least you don’t have to go Down The Smoke to enjoy this one !
Report abuse