The publication of a valuable ‘Healthcheck’ report that will show how effective NEP really is has been delayed for several months.  The report will expose whether NEP actually delivers the value for money that Tory controlled NCC claim.  In the light of repeated criticism from the Liberal Democrat opposition that the £2m annual cost to the tax payer could be better spent the NEP Healthcheck  was commissioned and should have reported in March.  The Conservative Cabinet has now delayed publication.

‘We have learnt that the Healthcheck report won’t be made public until June.’ Explained Councillor Chris Lofts. ‘This is really disappointing as the sooner we discover if there are lessons to be learnt and there are better ways of supporting local enterprise the better.  £2m is a lot of public money and we need to be reassured that it is being spent wisely.  The longer the delay the more concern we have that there is actually something to hide!’

Scott Collins, Parliamentary Spokesman for the Liberal Democrats in South Northamptonshire, commented

“It seems that Northamptonshire Enterprise Partnership have a real problem here. They have laid claim to project that they did not have a significant input to and tried to make their meagre acomplishments seem like successes.

But the simple fact is that this report should show the real situation and whether the tax payers in South Northamptonshire and the wider County are really getting value for money.

This further delay gives an air of an organisation avoiding disclosing the facts but people deserve to know how well NEP are doing and what tax payers have received for the £2M annual running costs.”