Lost at sea: £250,000 of taxpayers' cash sunk into abandoned project

Wednesday 21 January 2015

More than £250,000 of taxpayers’ money has been splashed out on the aborted Ports Galots development to build a maritime centre and flats at the harbour, it was admitted yesterday.

Transport Minister Eddie Noel revealed the figures in response to questions from town Deputies – and he said that almost half a million pounds has been removed from a fund since it was set up to provide a new home for the Sea Cadets in 19996, despite the fact that they seem no closer to actually getting a new base.

Of the £600,000 that politicians voted into the project almost 20 years ago, just £107,000 is left.

But campaigner Vicky Boarder, who led the charge against the development that ended with ministers pulling the plans, says that she isn’t surprised by the amount of money. She also revealed that on the first day of the new Freedom of Information Law being in force on 1 January she submitted a set of questions about the finances behind the application, but hasn’t yet received a response.

“This doesn’t surprise me at all,” she said.

“This charity has been lucky enough to have been given some money, and yet there’s nothing left. It’s just crazy.

“Somebody has got some egg on their face, surely?”

The answer revealed that the £225,334 spent on the current project had gone on: legal fees, architect fees, marine architects fees, project management fees, quantity surveyor fees, heritage advisor fees, public relations fees and valuers fees. A further £33,000 was spent on fees to other States departments to get the plans to the application stage, before they were pulled.

But money has been flowing out of the fund for some time - in late 2006 the Education department took £192,000 out of the budget.