Southwark council called ‘shambolic’ after splurging £900 on catering event for 25 people

By Robert Firth, Local Democracy Reporter

A council has been branded “shambolic” after it spent £900 on buffet food for a meeting just 25 residents attended.

Southwark council splurged the cash on sandwiches, crisps, cakes, fruit, juice and disposable cutlery, a receipt shows. 

Hundreds of residents were expected to attend a leaseholders meeting on Thursday, but just a handful turned up in person after officials tried to cancel the event at the last-minute when a tenants meeting the night before descended into chaos.

The 25 residents who attended the meeting at the council’s Tooley Street headquarters last Thursday were treated to the equivalent of £36 worth of food per-person.

Southwark Liberal Democrats said the Labour-led council splashed out £1,800 overall on catering for the two residents meetings last week. 

Cllr Jane Salmon, Liberal Democrats member for Surrey Docks, said: “I was shocked by the shambolic set up of the meetings and saddened that the tenants and homeowners feel so distressed at the poor service they receive. 

“These meetings did nothing to alleviate their justified concerns that they are not being heard. To find out that the council spent more than £900 on food for so few attendees makes this all the more farcical.”

Southwark council arranged the Wednesday tenants forum to inform residents about planned rent rises.

About 100 people attended in person, while a further 300 tuned in online, according to the Southwark Liberal Democrats. 

But sources said the meeting soon descended into chaos, with multiple people talking over each other. 

Southwark Liberal Democrats said those who attended the meeting noted “a lack of organisation” and said many residents were “not able to be heard” due to “disagreements between attendees and organisers.”

As a result, council officials tried to move the leaseholders meeting the following day entirely online but were stopped by the event’s chairman, sources said. 

In the end, just 25 residents attended the Thursday meeting in person, compared to 400 leaseholders who tuned in online, Southwark Liberal Democrats said. 

A council spokeswoman said: “We asked tenants and leaseholders to give up their time to attend these resident-chaired meetings, with the option to join in person and online, and we are grateful that so many did so – more than 850 in total across the two evenings.

“Providing refreshments for our residents, many of whom had come straight from work, and with many struggling with the cost of living crisis, felt like the right thing to do, but we will certainly take on board all feedback as we plan future resident meetings.”

Pictured top: The receipt for the £900 buffet food (Picture: Handout)