Following OnTheWight breaking the story of Ecoisland Partnership CIC moving to liquidation two days ago, today the shock news has arrived that the Isle of Wight council have referred Ecoisland to the Police.
The council are asking the Police to investigate approximately £115,000, which they say is unaccounted for of £240,000 which the council passed to Eco Island to deliver the Government’s Green Deal on the Isle of Wight.
Updated 14:24 Back in January 2013, IW council announced that they were passing £250,974 to the Ecoisland Partnership.
Statement from IWC
After the impending liquidation of the Ecoisland Partnership CIC came to light, OnTheWight asked the Isle of Wight council how much money the council had paid to Eco Island over the years, below is the statement they just sent us.
Stuart Love, strategic director for economy and environment, said: “The council’s Eco Island vision was developed in 2008 as a broad based strategy for improving the social, economic and environmental sustainability of the Island. The council encouraged groups and organisations to embrace this ethos.
“The EcoIsland Partnership community interest company was set up by David Green independently from the council. The company’s liquidation has no bearing on the council’s aspirations to both make the Island more sustainable and to improve our economy in doing so. Many groups and organisations continue to strive for a greener, more sustainable Island in line with the Eco Island vision. The council is keen for this good work to continue and will be developing plans further through its new sustainability forum which met for the first time last month.”
“The council commissioned the EcoIsland Community Interest Company to deliver the government’s Green Deal on the Island using £240,000 funding from the Department for Energy and Climate Change. Having reviewed delivery of this project it would appear that approximately £115,000 of the £240,000 is unaccounted for and we have therefore referred this matter to the police to investigate.”
Update 13:33 Added details to the start of the article.
Image: West Midlands Police under CC BY 2.0
