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With reference to Mansfield Council facing a £20 million bill for repairs to a London apartment block, Andy Abrahams, Mansfield Labour group leader and mayor writes: There have been several issues that we inherited from the Mansfield Independents since we were elected in 2019 that we have had to deal with in a responsible and prudent manner, always making the safety of residents, wherever they may be, our number one priority and ensuring the integrity of Mansfield Council remains in tact and we do not prejudice any legal process that make take place in the future.

However, the residents of Mansfield district need to know that Labour pledged in the election in 2019 to end the Mansfield Independent’s policy of investing all over the country and concentrate on investing locally in Mansfield.

There were several reasons for this pledge which I enacted from day one of being elected, although it wasn’t practical or prudent to terminate contracts already committed to.

One reason was the totally unacceptable situation where the Mansfield Independents and the Conservatives at County Hall presided over the closure of Meden swimming baths.

The old Meden Sports Centre, which closed in 2018.

It just seemed basically wrong that the Independents were investing in a leisure complex across the country while not protecting our own. We have now committed to right that wrong by finding the investment to open a health hub at Warsop which will include swimming facilities.

Mansfield Council facing £20m bill to fix London apartment block it owns

The other main reason that this bizarre policy of councils up and down the country hiring consultants to look for investments in each other’s areas was unsustainable, ‘a glorified game of monopoly pyramid sales of properties’ which was bound to end in tears for some.

It appears the Conservative Government who effectively started this jamboree agreed with our thinking by preventing all councils making these investments in 2020 – I have lost count of the Conservative U-turns.

Andy Abrahams, Mansfield Labour group leader and mayor.

I want to be fair and state the reason Mansfield Independents and other administrations embarked on this policy was the 10 years of the Conservatives’ austerity policy cutting billions from local authority budgets all over the country leading to the services our residents being decimated.

We are all now suffering the effects of these cuts in police, legal services, social care, youth services, NHS, roads etc etc…leading to increases in anti-social behaviour, record waiting lists for hospital and doctor appointments, decimated mental health, caring and children’s services and skill shortages everywhere driving up inflation in an economy already out of control.

Contributory events that have led to issues with buildings all over the country are indirectly associated to Conservative funding cutbacks to services which led to ‘self regulation’ of building control by clients and contractors, which has led to failures in standards.

In my 25 years working in the construction industry as a civil engineer, building inspectors and clerk of works that provided an independent inspection service were worth their weight in gold ensuring standards were kept.

All these comments are my personal ones as leader of the Labour Group and do not in an way relate specifically to Mansfield Council’s statement on any ongoing situation.

I fully endorse all decisions we have made since being mayor and will not predicate our position with any speculation.

However, Mansfield Council will explore all avenues regarding the cause and remediation of any issues with any projects or investments it is associated with.

Opinion: ‘Mansfield Labour - Setting the record straight on investments’