Torbay Conservatives are calling for an inquiry after people across Torbay have been left out of pocket, some by hundreds of pounds, after the collapse of the company running the English Riviera Food and Drink Festival.
Conservative Councillor Dave Thomas, has called for an investigation into the collapse of a Torbay Council-backed festival which was suddenly cancelled on Friday, with taxpayers and local businesses left out of pocket.
The English Riviera Food & Music Festival was meant to be a brand-new four-day food and music event taking place on Friday 26 to Monday 29 May 2023. In launching it on 31 January 2023, the Lib Dem Cabinet Member for Economic Regeneration, Tourism and Housing stated it was: “shaping up to be an incredible event”, yet it now transpires the company chosen by Torbay Council appears to have no track record in running such large events and has since gone into liquidation.
Since the announcement of the festival’s cancellation, Conservative Councillors and Torbay’s MP Kevin Foster have had many residents get in touch having spent hundreds of pounds on tickets, including pensioners and students who had saved for a treat, along with traders who had booked a pitch to trade at it. Many now face losing the money they had spent, along with Torbay taxpayers who also face a significant loss due to the collapse of this event after Torbay Council provided funding for it.
Conservatives are also querying the late cancellation of the festival, only when the company entered liquidation, when it must have been apparent for some time the event was not selling tickets to the level which would cover costs. This meant more people incurred losses prior to this announcement.
Commenting Cllr Dave Thomas (Conservative, Preston) Leader of the Opposition on Torbay Council said: “There are many questions to be asked about what lead to a collapse where many people across our bay now face losing hundreds of pounds. This goes beyond simply calling for a Lib Dem Cabinet Member to resign for the latest example of the Coalition’s incompetence, but discovering how this company could be selected by the Council as its partner. We must identify what, if any, due diligence was performed on this company, prior to them agreeing this event could take place, promoting it via official Torbay Council channels and providing the company with taxpayer’s money to support it.”
Commenting Torbay’s MP Kevin Foster said: “I have already had residents get in touch with me about this having lost money either through buying tickets or booking a pitch to trade. From pensioners treating themselves, to students who had worked hard to save the money needed to buy tickets for the full event, many now face losing their money.”
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