Fall out over £20m spending in Darlaston continues

Two Darlaston councillors who claim the community has been ‘sidelined’ over the spending of £20 million have set up their own decision-making board. 

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.

To decide on how the money would be spent, an original board was set up which included representatives from the council, police, housing associations and other organisations, led by a chairman. 

Councillor Paul Bott, ward member for Darlaston South, said the original board was scrapped following calls for it to be made up of people from the town instead. 

Earlier this summer, residents were due to be interviewed with the hope of getting a seat on the board. 

It was understood that one councillor from each of the two wards that cover the town, Darlaston South and Bentley and Darlaston North, would be on the board to support residents but would have no voting rights. 

But now councillors have been informed that the board will again be made up of officials from organisations and political group leaders in Walsall. 

In response to the U-turn, Councillor Bott, along with Councillor Chris Bott, have set up their own community-led board and have been in touch with the MP for Darlaston to ask for the money to go directly to the new group.

The two councillors say the community has completely rejected the legitimacy and authority of the board. 

Councillor Paul Bott said: “All the decisions should be made by the board, for the benefit of Darlaston on their priorities, not the conservative’s priorities or the chairman’s. They were assured it would be led by the community by Garry Perry.

“The community has been sidelined and now it’s a political agenda. Not a community agenda.”

MP Pat McFadden for Wolverhampton South East which covers Darlaston, said: “Decisions on this funding stream should be community-led.  We need a board that is broadly representative of the local community.  That’s what everyone should be focussed on delivering.”

Leader of the independent group at Walsall Council, Councillor Aftab Nawaz, has backed Councillor Paul Bott. 

He said: “Darlaston is a town that requires a lot of investment and has lots of deprivation. The community there has been calling for a long time for support. 

“In the past when support has arrived it’s not really been used to the optimum to help the local community and this board being set up was a ray of hope for them. 

“When I spoke to the community they wanted to be in charge of the board but it seems the council has other ideas. The community wants to get on with it and use the money to make Darlaston better. They believe, and I agree with them, that locals know best about their own areas.”

A spokesperson for Walsall Council said: “We are in the process of assembling a neighbourhood board with an independent chair, which will oversee how the funding is used in the community. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is currently reviewing our proposals.

“Once established, this board will meet in public and will engage with the local community. Residents will have the opportunity to input into the plans for their area as these are developed.”