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Thread: 2008 Cash Crisis?

  1. #16
    Creator & Administrator Kev's Avatar
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    2008 debts may force sale of Culture office

    Jan 19 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

    THE HOME of Liverpool’s Culture Company could be placed into a charitable trust and sold to help plug the £20m shortfall in ’08 finances, the Daily Post can reveal.

    The unusual option of setting up a charitable trust is being explored by the city council as an option to plug the funding gap for the city’s Capital of Culture celebrations.

    Last night, council officials stressed the preferred option was for the Government to give permission for buildings or land to be sold directly through a process known as capitalisation to pay for the year.

    It comes as new figures show the council faces a £62m hole in its budget this year with a likely council tax increase of around 3.75%, with £20m of that the need to pay for Capital of Culture.

    Yesterday, councillors at the authority’s ruling Executive Board hit out at the Government’s continuing delay in letting the council know whether the city would be allowed to break a treasury “golden rule”.

    The setting up of a charitable trust would see advantageous tax relief applied to buildings, services, or the proceeds of sales put in trust.

    Liverpool Culture Company is based at Millennium House in Victoria Street and it is one of the buildings that could be put into a trust.

    And the Daily Post understands it is not just selling and leasing back council buildings through a trust that is being considered.

    Placing services like libraries or leisure centres in trust is also being looked at.

    The Charity Commission would have to approve any move to set up such a scheme.

    It is understood the option is seen as a last resort, as once set up trusts are very difficult to wind up and the council would lose political and financial control over the new body.

    Last night, the city’s finance leader, Cllr Keith Turner, said: “There is a whole range of potential options that have been put forward by officers as we go through the budget-setting process for next year.

    “At the moment, we are completely focused on working with our local MPs to persuade the Government that they should give us permission to use capital receipts as that is the most simple and straightforward solution, because this is a one-off expense.

    “Obviously, we are also looking at a number of other options and one of the many things suggested is for us to possibly consider placing a council function in a charitable trust.

    “One thing is clear – our Capital of Culture year will be fully funded.”

    Opposition Labour leader Cllr Joe Anderson said: “It has been made clear to me this is an option (putting Millennium House in trust).”

    He said the irony of putting the home of the Liverpool Culture Company in a trust and re-mortgaging “was not lost” on him.

    The council and the city’s MPs are discussing the option of selling off buildings or land to pay for the year.

    This is usually only allowed to help pay for other capital building projects, but the council argues that as Capital of Culture is a one-off, it should be treated the same.

    At executive board, education leader Paul Clein led the protests against the Government for not having made up its mind yet over the issue of capitalisation.

    He said: “We are not asking for a handout, we are asking for a relaxation of the rules. To leave us dangling like this beggars belief.”

    A council spokesman said: “The council is in the process of setting its budget at the moment but no final decisions have yet been taken.”
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  2. #17
    Senior Member Howie's Avatar
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    Opposition Labour leader Cllr Joe Anderson said: “It has been made clear to me this is an option (putting Millennium House in trust).”



    He said the irony of putting the home of the Liverpool Culture Company in a trust and re-mortgaging “was not lost” on him.
    Not lost on me either Joe!

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