Dundee City Council’s decision to pour almost £60,000 into a cafe business in a new council property has stirred up a local councillor.
Brian Gordon is demanding to know why the sum is being spent on the social enterprise project at The Crescent, the £6.8 million life services building which was opened last month in Whitfield.
The money is to fit out the cafe but he does not see why the cafe operator’s needs could not have been factored into the original plans to save the cash-strapped council from spending the extra £58,400.
He is also asking why the council is paying for the re-fit when tenants of other units in the building were told they would have to pay for their own changes.
He has other questions about the social enterprise running the cafe and whether they have experience with commercial ventures.
“The Crescent is only weeks old and is for social work, healthcare, library, cafe and retail facilities,” Mr Gordon said.
“It is an important part of Whitfield’s regeneration and it has cost the council almost £7 million, yet we have just had a report to committee saying we need to spend another £58,400 fitting out its cafe.
“I’ve seen correspondence with other tenants there which said they would have to pay for any refit they wanted to their units, so why is the cafe being treated differently?
“Why also could the cafe’s needs not be incorporated in the original building? Who is going to run the cafe and do they have experience in this type of venture?
“I’m hearing that the local history group are being squeezed into a smaller space because of the cafe and they may not be able to continue. I want to know what exactly is going on here.”
He has raised the issue with Mike Galloway, director of city development, and been told that securing a suitable community enterprise operator has taken some effort.
The re-fit involved the minor modification of taking away a small part of a wall, and the director said the requirements of the social enterprise have only recently been confirmed.
The drawings used in the tender process were only indicative until the confirmed tenant was able to clarify requirements.
Mr Galloway said the cafe should be fully operational with a thriving community enterprise up and running in September.
In response to Mr Gordon’s concern about apparent differential treatment, a spokesman for the city council said: “We will respond directly to Councillor Gordon in due course.”