Bedford Borough Council confirmed that a senior officer signed a lease for the former Paddington Pub on Midland Road – without the decision being approved by councillors, the executive, or the former mayor.
The building was leased for use as temporary accommodation for homeless people. The council has since revealed, in response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, that the lease was agreed using officer delegation powers rather than through a formal committee or public decision.
The council signed the lease for the site at 157 Midland Road, Bedford, in April 2022, with the lease due to expire on 31 March 2027.
However, the lease was surrendered in April, after the building had been unused since March 2023.
According to the FOI response, the lease was signed under the Council’s Constitution, which allows officers to “procure and authorise payment for emergency temporary accommodation” to fulfil the council’s legal duties under homelessness legislation.
Because of this, the decision did not require sign-off from elected councillors, the executive, or the mayor.
The council said the lease did not meet the criteria for a Key Decision, which would normally trigger extra scrutiny and require it to appear on the Forward Plan.
It explained that the lease:
- Did not result in unbudgeted spending over £50,000
- Did not involve significant impacts across multiple wards
- Did not write off debts above £50,000
The FOI request asked if the decision was subject to scrutiny or a “call-in” by an overview and scrutiny committee.
The council confirmed that Overview and Scrutiny does not apply to officer decisions unless they are classed as Key Decisions.
It added that there isn’t a written decision record outlining the rationale or options considered, as this was not required under the officer’s delegated authority.
The FOI response said the alternative would have been to use hotel rooms or nightly private rentals, which could be more expensive.
However, the cost of the lease was included in the approved revenue budget for temporary accommodation, so there was no need to draw from reserves or make a separate funding request.
The FOI revealed that the council’s finance team was aware of the lease, but there’s no record of formal advice being issued.
Also, no internal or external audit has been carried out, and no declarations of interest were made by anyone involved in the decision.
The decision was not reviewed by the chief executive or monitoring officer, as Legal Services saw no reason to question its lawfulness.
by John Guinn
Local Democracy Reporter
