Drew Mellor's company 'received taxpayers' money by renting offices'

The extraordinary claim came from Cllr Vikki Slade who said that former council leader Drew Mellor’s firm bought a building used as an office by FuturePlaces.

However, Mr Mellor has denied he owns the Bourne Park site in Exeter Park Road, Bournemouth, and that he "has nothing to do with it". 

Cllr Slade told a council corporate and community overview and scrutiny committee this week that she is 'beyond angry at the reputational damage caused'. 

She said: “The costs of the rental office are not insignificant. I was advised about three weeks ago and, I think the words were ‘leader, are you sitting down? There is something I need to tell you'. 

“And we had just discovered that a former councillor... Drew Mellor... his company, had purchased the building in which FuturePlaces is working from. Therefore the taxpayer is paying ex-councillor Mellor’s company for the rent. 

“Shockingly, the date during which he became the company director for that building was while he was still a serving councillor.” 

Cllr Slade said that councillors who lost their seat during the local elections on May 4 were still legally elected officials until May 8.

Bourne Park where Drew Mellor's company rents out office space (Image: Daily Echo)

Mr Mellor became the director of Bourne Space (Dorset) Ltd on May 5 - the day after the election.

“I suspect he didn’t buy it that day on eBay in a 24-hour auction,” the council leader told the committee.

“I expect it was purchased over many, many months, with that work starting not only when he was a councillor, but potentially even the leader of the council – but we don’t know that. 

“I am beyond angry at the reputational damage that we have people being funded to sit in offices where we have empty office space here.” 

Mr Mellor told the Echo that he bought Bourne House in Hinton Road, a site that is managed by Bourne Space, of which he is a director, according to its website. 

However, he said the founder of Bourne Space, Richard Davies, is the owner of Bourne Park, Exeter Park Road, where FuturePlaces rents space and “he has nothing to do with it”. 

BCP's chief executive Graham Farrant

Graham Farrant, chief executive of the council, was asked if action would be taken against the former leader.

He said: “We are reviewing the circumstances and dates.  

“We are reviewing whether this should have been a disclosable pecuniary interest and whether there is any action we need to take.” 

Mr Mellor dramatically resigned in February this year after an apparent disagreement with the auditor, saying he was not prepared to deliver a financial strategy based on “maximum council tax and cuts to services”.