Bristol Waste say they have not been giving 'loans' to cabinet members

Bristol Waste say they are not giving loans out to cabinet members’ personal companies. In response to a freedom of information request by qualified auditor Mike Oldreive, BW were asked about the wording of ‘loan’ listed in the accounts of Stepping Up Leadership CIC, the company at which former cabinet member for education, Asher Craig is a director. In the Balance Sheet as at 31st March 2023, the accounts state “Start Up Capital £88,000 (20000 WC SUDE Load 14000 BW repay 54000)”.

When Bristol Waste were asked to provide the terms for the loan for Craig’s company, they replied, “I can confirm that Bristol Waste Company Limited (BWC) did not make a loan to Stepping Up Leadership CIC. The amount relates to a trade debtor and
the amount was fully repayable to BWC under its usual payment terms.”

In the same company accounts, the CEO Christine Bamford stated that Bristol Waste had withdrawn (without notice) their back office support, “accommodation and cash flow transitional support”. She also stated that Bristol Waste had been authorised by Bristol City Council to support the transitional arrangements from when the service was provided by the council and to when Stepping Up Leadership CIC was set up as its own company.

Bristol City Council then gave the contract to a company in which its Cabinet member had significant control. Once this was raised on social media, there was some abusive language by the cabinet member towards me, but then she relinquished some of the control.

In response to being asked about the back office support, Bristol Waste replied that their “only transactional relationship with SUL CIC related to the debtor
that has been noted above.”

SUL CIC accounts state that: "BW had been authorised by BCC to support the transitional arrangements from hosting by BCC to independent community interest company." When asked whether BW had any correspondence or documentation to support this assertion, they replied: “ There is no signed formal agreement in place and the only correspondence with BCC was from the previous Managing Director of
Bristol Waste.”

The previous Managing Director was Tony Lawless who has been covered in two previous articles about expenses.

The invoice for the debt is listed above. Note, however, that it has been made out to Stepping Up Diversity Education Limited and not Stepping Up Leadership CIC. SUDE is a different company, not a CIC, and is also run by Christine Bamford. This company however does not have Asher Craig as a director and has only Bamford as the sole person responsible.

The invoice is dated 11 January 2023 and is on 30 day terms. Bristol Waste did not chase up the overdue debt until March 2024. From the FOIs it seems that Bamford offered to pay £250 a month but was asked to pay a minimum of £2500 month. She agreed to this and the first payment was meant to have been made in June 2024.

Bristol Waste seem to have paid “a number of consultants on behalf of Stepping Up Diversity Education Limited”. As at 16/09/2024 there was an outstanding balance of £34,890. Per the original invoice the amount was repayable within 30 days of
the document date full payment was due 10/02/2023.

Bristol Waste was bailed out to the sum of £4m by Bristol City Council in February 2024 and is currently being investigated by Avon and Somerset Police for fraud. Six people have voluntarily attended for interview so far but no-one has been charged at this time.

Stepping Up Leadership CIC—the company that includes ex-cabinet member Asher Craig—was given a further contract by Bristol City Council on 13 February 2024. The cost of £80k is being funded by the West of England Combined Authority to provide a workforce development partner to the Bottle Yard.

Bamford states in the FOI that Stepping Up Leadership CIC is also involved in a programme called ‘Provide’ for Bristol City Council but funding for a second year of that is currently not confirmed.