Dudley Council leader says ‘nothing to hide’ over failed leisure centre deal
Dudley Council’s leader says he has nothing to hide as watchdogs wait for a report on a failed land deal.
At their December meeting, the authority’s audit committee was expecting the results of an investigation into the sale of the former leisure centre in Wellington Road.
The sale of the centre, to a company called Wellington DLC, was announced in April 2024 but the deal collapsed and external auditor Grant Thornton was called in.
A representative from Grant Thornton told committee members they had been waiting for answers for nearly a year prompting concerns the council was trying to brush the affair under the carpet.
Council leader, Cllr Patrick Harley, denies there is any cause for concern, he said: “This is a bureaucracy issue, not anything to do with elected members.
“Complaints had gone in from the person who thought he was going to be the proprietor, it didn’t come through for whatever reasons and I’m sure the report will confirm why it didn’t happen.
“External auditors got an external company in to do a thorough review – clearly that takes time, They have to interview people and do it thoroughly.
“If you rush these things then you get it wrong.”
Speaking at December’s Audit Committee meeting, Cllr Shaun Keasey said: “I believe there is serious wrongdoing in this report, whether that is from elected members or from officers.”
Cllr Harley said he had been interviewed once during the probe and dismissed any suggestion the auditor’s findings would be kept under wraps.
He said: “It will be made public, I’ve got nothing to hide; there is nothing to see here.
“I don’t know what Mr Keasey is getting excited for. I hope he has a good Christmas, if he thinks this is going to be the present that he wants he is going to be bitterly disappointed.”
Speaking after the collapse of the £1.65m deal was made public, Balvinder Heran, the then deputy chief executive at Dudley Council, said: “While it is correct to say the council had agreed in principle to the sale of the site at Wellington Road, the local authority did not enter into any contract and therefore made no legally-binding commitments.”
In February 2025 the council announced the site had been sold to Halesowen-based developer Revelan for £1.7m.
