A DOWRY of almost £400,000 intended to benefit a Liverpool community has still not been spent – despite laying dormant for over 18 months.

The fund provided by Persimmon Homes for the residents of Croxteth Country Park was last night at the centre of a political row between Labour councillor for the ward Rose Bailey and the ward’s Lib-Dem councillor Phil Moffatt.

Cllr Bailey publicly accused the Lib-Dem party of “running off” with the £370,300 intended to be spent on improving the estate and in a recent Labour leaflet to householders demanded that Liverpool Council’s ruling party come clean about what they have done with the money.

Cllr Moffatt said he was “outraged” at the allegations as he had been working hard to unlock the funding and has reported Cllr Bailey to the council’s monitoring officer and Standards Board for breaching the Code of Conduct.

He claims he is “disgusted” Cllr Bailey would misrepresent the truth when she knew the money had lain dormant while council officers consulted with experts – including Merseyside Police – as how to best spend the money.

The row is the second political upset for residents in Croxteth this week, following the resig-nation of ward councillor Nadia Stewart from the Labour Party amid allegations of bad practice, harassment and bullying.

Cllr Moffatt said: “Making Croxteth a safer place has always been my priority, along with the regeneration and improvement of many parts of the estate. Cllr Bailey is misleading the people of her ward to score political points.

“The residents of the Country Park have been extremely patient and in my opinion it is time to deliver. I have requested a roll-out programme be provided without further delay and I have consulted with the executive member Cllr Bernie Turner and informed her of the concern of my community about the time that has elapsed.

“I have asked that this funding be signed off with immediate effect and the money be invested within our area.

“It is anticipated, subject to approval of the Board, that work will commence in the summer to be completed in spring ’08.”

But Cllr Bailey defended issuing the leaflet and said her concerns about why the funding had not yet been spent were genuine.

She also revealed she had submitted a Freedom of Information Request to the city council to find out what the Lib-Dems had done with this money and money set aside by other builders as dowries.

Cllr Bailey said: “This money has been available for 18 months and I have been to numerous meetings about how it should be spent – but still there is nothing.

“It is unfair for the people of Croxteth that they have had to wait all this time.

“Now we have missed spring and the planting season, it may be another 12 months before work can now get started.

“I have asked the council officers time and time again what the delay is but they will not give me any reason.

“If there is nothing to hide, the Lib-Dems should come out and tell the people of Croxteth where their money has gone.”

carolineinnes