'We've been taken for fools': Darlaston residents on rival £20m spending board criticise council
Members of a decision-making board in Darlaston have fiercely criticised Walsall Council over its handling of a £20 million regeneration grant.
They described the situation heretofore as ‘neither transparent nor democratic’ and have demanded answers over the board's choice of chairman.
Last year, Darlaston was awarded £20 million to be spent over 10 years as part of the Government’s Plan for Neighbourhoods programme through the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
Councillor Paul Bott, ward member for Darlaston South, said the original board – made up of senior officers from public organisations – was scrapped after residents called for it to include local people instead.
However, councillors were recently told the board would once again be formed of officers and political group leaders from Walsall.
In response, a separate community board was set up, made up of those who had applied to be on the council’s board but refused to sit on it after the U-turn.
Community board member Peter Burton, 68, has lived in Darlaston all his life.
He said: “The council’s board is totally undemocratic and not transparent and there’s no assurance that the money will be spent in Darlaston.
“The council don’t want community involvement, they’re putting people on there to say that they’ve involved the community. But it’s tokenistic.”
Also on the community board is Alison Humpage, aged 55. She said: “We have people of various ages, and we have members of the Muslim and Asian community.
“Two of us were invited last year to be on the council’s board, bearing in mind only two people are not representative of the entire community.
“For us we’re very passionate about regenerating the area and making what is a little town, a nice place to visit and live.”
Board member Catherine Smith, 40, added: “We need the money to go where it’s needed, to help the community and help the youth.
“But it feels like we’ve not been listened to and feels like we’ve been taken for fools.”
Rules set out by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government state that each decision-making board must have an independent chair.
The community-led board is chaired by Joyce Gibson, and the council’s board is chaired by Manjit Jhooty.
Joyce has lived in Darlaston for more than 60 years, and is a long-time volunteer at the local town hall which hosts several community groups and charities. She also volunteers at a local church.
Manjit is the CEO of Walsall-based Jhoots Healthcare Ltd & Pasab Ltd. He is also the chair of the Walsall and Bloxwich towns deal board, where each area was awarded £21.3million.
Community board members and local councillors have raised concerns about using the same chair, believing no one person should have a monopoly over the various grant funding pots across the borough.
Some community board members have also accused the council of not involving the public in choosing the chair, or providing any reasoning for doing so.
