Star date: 7th March 2017

CASH STRAPPED COUNCIL SENDS TWO STAFF TO 4-STAR CANNES HOTEL

Salford City Council has paid for two staff to stay at the 4-star 'boutique' Hotel Canberra in Cannes for a four day jaunt at a cost of £230-a-night each. As homeless rough sleeper numbers double in the city, the cost of £1,839 was just for the accommodation, excluding travel, expenses and staff time.

The staff attend the MIPIM property bash, famous for its posh parties, states Salford Council as "part of our work to continue to secure new investment in the city".

Full details here...

The 4-star 'boutique' Hotel Canberra in Cannes invites holiday makers to "treat yourself to a stay in a romantic hotel...during which you can enjoy the swimming pool, gym, lounge-bar and the restaurant..."

Located in the centre of Cannes and close to two beaches, the hotel is the furthest you can get away from Salford Travel Lodge as possible. And the MIPIM property bash, which takes place in March in the South of France, is famous for its champagne, yachts and parties.

Indeed, the Salford Star reported in 2010 how Sir Bob Kerslake, Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency, partied at Urban Splash guru Tom Bloxham's opulent bubble house in the South of France during MIPIM - weeks before he took up his post as head of the public agency that dealt with affordable housing for which Urban Splash got grants (see here).

Salford Council accounts for December revealed two payments for £919.67 made out to the `Hotel Camberra' for staff travel. Intrigued, the Salford Star asked under the Freedom of Information Act if this was the `Hotel Canberra' in Cannes and what the purpose of the journey was.

Salford Council responded that "this cost is for accommodation at Hotel Camberra [still spelt wrong] for one member of staff for four days at the MIPIM conference in Cannes".

This works out at £230-a-night at the boutique hotel – and, given that there were two payments for the same amount, this means the cash-strapped Council forked out a total of £1,839 just for accommodation, excluding travel, expenses and staff time.

Salford Council added that "Salford participates in the MIPIM event as part of a Manchester delegation and it is part of our work to continue to secure new investment in the city."

One thing is for certain. Any 'investment' from international real estate dealers isn't going to be for social housing to help solve the increasing numbers of rough sleepers in the city.

See also previous Salford Star article – Salford Council Pays Over £2million in rent for empty offices owned by Legal and General – click here