Letter sent today by a Cornish Solidarity member, highlighting to Cornwall Council members, the possibility of dubious financial arrangements behind the 'FREE' stadium for Cornwall: From: kevin bennetts Sent: 26 January 2018 To: fjdyer@cornwall.gov.uk; adam.paynter@cornwallcouncillors.org.uk; Sarah Newton MP Subject: LANGARTH Dear John, As you know, I share your utter frustration with the mess that the Langarth Farm planning fiasco has entirely predictably descended into. Given the prompt positive response received this morning from Mrs Newton, it is heartening to see that she appears to be getting up to speed with matters, in some part due no doubt to your welcome intervention. Yesterday, during a group meeting, a mutual acquaintance described how, as a principal objector to Langarth in the early stages, he received a personal visit from the MD of Inox who floated the concept of a £50k ‘’consideration’’ if this person were to withdraw his objection; naturally, what was effectively a bribe, was refused. I am presently fascinated by the interesting possibility of an inappropriate connection via the ''old boys'' network, between the former Cornwall Council consultant Mr John Betty, and Mr Rob Saltmarsh MD of Inox (the developer behind the ''free stadium'' scam) in relation to the Langarth Farm planning fiasco. This is given some imperative by way of the fact that Mr John Betty now occupies a senior post at Cornwall Council as Strategic Director Economic Growth and Development. The recent announcement of the imminent departure of Ms Sandra Rothwell smacks of a Betty style purge to stamp his authority, given that during a recent conversation relating to another matter, a Cornwall Councillor hinted that Ms Rothwell was ‘’under pressure’’; this councillor also emphasised how vital it is that Cornwall Council is challenged wherever and whenever necessary. Mr Betty's contagious enthusiasm for Cornwall Council purchasing a non serviced and difficult-to-develop section of Langarth Farm as principal developer, would very conveniently bail Inox out of a very sticky financial situation, which a cynic may not interpret as a mere coincidence. Why are so many Cornwall Councillors failing to do their homework? In this process of omission they are arguably failing in their duty of care to their electorates by not rigorously challenging this incredibly risky project, at a time when the debt laden development sector could at best be described as precarious. In view of the associated risks, is it right that any potential financial shortfall in relation to Langarth, will have to be underwritten by Cornish council taxpayers while those Cornwall Council Officers responsible would, as stated in an answer to a recent question put to cabinet, be immune to any negative consequences by way of culpability or accountability? In the light of this clear and present danger, following the collapse of Carillion, I recently posed two further relevant questions to Councillor Adam Paynter; regrettably, Councillor Paynter has not yet seen fit to respond. 1 Given the unpalatable fact that there is frenzied activity by these various corporate development concerns within Cornwall what if any contingencies do Cornwall Council have in place to mitigate any potential fallout and cost implications from any future Carillion style failure by a similar developer working in Cornwall ? 2 Furthermore how do you see Cornwall Councils emerging role as a corporate developer in its own right weathering the inevitable financial shocks of any impending housing market correction in the light of the £600 million level of borrowing recently projected by Mr Betty to accomplish Cornwall Councils stated objective? I presume that Cornwall Council will revert to its usual fall-back position expressing undying confidence in Mr Betty while wilfully refusing to look at the possibility of any inappropriate connections between the gentlemen in question, my absolute contention being that if there are no inappropriate connections the air will have been cleared and neither of them have anything to worry about. I feel so strongly about this that I am mindful to approach a private investigator to shed a little light into what I feel could be a very dark little corner The whole sorry saga of the ‘’Langarth mess’’ (as personally described by the councils own chief of planning recently) stinks and should be abandoned forthwith before any more public money is wasted on a mire of eye wateringly expensive incompetent pseudo corruption. Yours sincerely Kevin Some interesting supporter comments about the great Langarth "swindle"; will it just become a millstone for generations of Cornish taxpayers: "Councillors will have to be short-sighted and have short memories to invest in this Stadium, because: 1) The £6 million requested will not be the final amount we will pay as the costs are bound to escalate. 2) The Stadium group, in all likelihood, will keep coming back to the public for more money to keep running. If the Stadium had a robust business plan, showing strong profit forecasts, investors would be lining up to put money into the project, but they are not." "Yes, the costs will escalate without doubt. The Council's 'estimates' always turn out to be hopeless underestimates. If this goes ahead it will be another fiasco and the taxpayers will be, yet again, the ones to subsidise it. In any case, I thought the Council had already decided not to subsidise this white elephant with public money? Can't be trusted." "If the Stadium was intending to share the sewerage system with the new houses, if the Stadium is to go ahead first then wouldn't the developers have to pay for the upgraded drainage system? Is this cost in with the £14m? Or does it mean that if the Council finances the Stadium it will have to finance these other infrastructure costs to finish the project which likely means it will be forced to build the houses too?" "I am fascinated by the possibility of a connection via the ''old boys'' network between the former Cornwall Council consultant John Hamilton Betty and Rob Saltmarsh MD of Inox which is the developer behind the ''free stadium'' and Langarth Farm planning fiasco. This is given some imperative by way of the fact that John Hamilton Betty now occupies a senior post at Cornwall Council as Strategic Director Economic Growth and Development. Bettys enthusiasm for Cornwall Council purchasing an unserviced difficult to develop section of Langarth Farm as principal developer will effectively bail out Inox out of a very sticky financial situation which may not be a coincidence. Why are Cornwall Councillors failing to do their homework and thereby failing in their collective duty of care toward their electorates? The whole sorry mess stinks and should be abandoned forthwith before any more public money is wasted on a mire of incompetent corruption."