The Yorkshire Post Says: £60m bill for empty offices

More than £60m of public funds – money which could have been spent on frontline fire cover – have already been spent on their rent and upkeep, with the final bill expected to top an eye-watering £150m if they remain empty for the full duration of their 20 and 25-year leases.

Believe it or not, it could have been worse. Five other buildings acquired when John Prescott sought to introduce regional fire control centres have been leased out, though four involve public sector organisations who will be footing the bill.

Yet it simply defies belief that the unused Wakefield building alone has cost taxpayers £13.3m, including £1.6m in the last financial year alone. Just think how this amount of money could have been put to better use.

Even though the National Audit Office issued a damning report in July 2011 about ineffective “checks and balances” in the early stages of this venture, the issue now is why tenants can’t be found for modern buildings when there’s a shortage office space. Those in authority need to answer these three questions:

1. Why was there inadequate scrutiny by MPs, and others, of the original plan that was put forward in 2004?

2. Why did the Whitehall officials concerned not insert any break clauses into the relevant contracts to ensure taxpayers were not left with huge liabilities when David Cameron’s government pulled the plug because it was actually cheaper than paying for spiralling costs and major delays to the planned IT system? Has any official been reprimanded?

3. Why has it been impossible to find sub-tenants to ease the financial burden? Is it because the buildings are not up to scratch – or the Department of Communities and Local Government simply hopes this issue will go away?

It won’t, hence the need for urgent answers to avoid the embarrassment of fire services facing further financial cuts just so the Government can pay for buildings that appear to be of no use whatsoever to anyone.