The Ashfield MP has spoken of his astonishment after regulatory breaches by a local authority caused a major £30 million scheme to be suspended. The wider development could have created over 1,000 jobs, yet building work stopped in January after inspectors identified several rule-breaking incidents. The Reform UK member for the area is demanding a full investigation, and the leader of the district council has promised that any required staff disciplinary action will be taken, while also asserting that there was nothing of concern.
Construction on the Automated Distribution and Manufacturing Centre, which forms part of proposals for a £100 million innovation and technology park in Kirkby-in-Ashfield, was halted. Initial building work was originally expected to last roughly twelve months, though a 2025 progress update pushed back the scheme with completion now anticipated by the end of 2026. The procedural errors now mean the programme may not reach completion until late 2027. The principal problems involve work beginning before contracts had been formally executed and necessary approvals not being obtained when expenditure grew by several million pounds.
A document shows no indication that anyone at the district council deliberately sought to evade regulations, though £5 million in construction has already been carried out in breach of them. The MP told the local news outlet that he was absolutely horrified to learn the true extent of this situation the previous evening. He stated that at best, this demonstrates serial incompetence from the council on an enormous scale. Most of the money being used to fund this project has come from government investment that he secured for Ashfield during the last Parliament. He now expects there to be a full and thorough investigation into how this has happened, adding that this is taxpayers’ money.
The chief executive of the council said she believes that the investigation the MP called for has already taken place after the council commissioned an independent examination. The scheme received £20 million in public funding alongside a combined £10 million contribution in goods and services from the university and the college.
Theresa Hodgkinson, the chief executive, was questioned by journalists about possible staff disciplinary consequences for the mistakes. She stated that she is the head of paid service and that any appropriate action will be taken, adding that this will be reported through to the audit committee. She said there has been no indication that any officers have taken any fraudulent or illegal route. She noted that the independent review did not flag any such concerns to her, and that this was why she had the review done. She believes the review is very transparent and that it also asked to look at the staffing around the project, without flagging any immediate actions. She said that the audit committee and the improvement plan may flag further works that she needs to consider, but at this stage she has had nothing put before her asking her to consider anything specific regarding individual members of staff. She expressed the view that there was nothing of concern.
Responding to the MP’s particular critique, the chief executive said she has a very good relationship with Lee and that she has already briefed him, so it was disappointing that he had taken that angle. She noted that government is supporting them with getting back on site. They are moving forward and it is about being proactive and taking direct, decisive, corrective action so that they can get back on site. She stated that the payments made related to legitimate works and that no public money has been lost or misused, emphasising that this is very clear.
A supplementary improvement programme will be put before the council cabinet in June, with building firms expected to return to the site at the beginning of May. A council report indicated the site would now be handed over to operators in October 2027, and a spokesperson for the college, one of the project’s backers, called the setback regrettable. They stated that West Nottinghamshire College continues to fully support the ambitions of the ADMC and the opportunities it will bring in terms of growth, skills and high-quality employment. They said that Ashfield District Council has kept them informed throughout and that they welcome the steps it has taken to strengthen processes moving forward. While any delays affecting a development on this scale are unfortunate, this is a long-term strategic project that will bring lasting benefits to the economy of Ashfield and the wider region for decades to come. The college will maintain its close collaboration with the council, NTU and partners, and remains dedicated to ensuring the project’s future success.
A spokesperson for the university also said the institution remained a committed partner and welcomed the council’s proactive stance in resolving the difficulties. Theresa Hodgkinson remarked that concerning whether the council’s reputation for overseeing large projects had been harmed, the evidence would be in the results given that £20 million was recently promised for various enhancements in the area. She stated that they are a trusted delivery partner.
The independent review already concluded identified reasons for the rule-breaking, including a number of changes in senior officers over the period of the project. The amount of time senior officers could spend on the scheme was also reduced by the necessity to concentrate on preparations for the local government changes, and the overall capacity allocated to the scheme was not, in hindsight, sufficient. The council leader said that an extra £500,000 has now been assigned to guarantee adequate resources are devoted to managing the changes, while a specific project manager for the scheme should be appointed by mid-April.