Former culture trust chair backs calls for inquiry

Last week 29 permanent staff and 21 casual workers made redundant

The former chair of a trust has backed calls for an inquiry into how it ended up in administrations.

The Coventry City of Culture Trust was due to oversee a three-year legacy programme after Coventry's reign as UK City of Culture came to an end in May 2022.

Last week it called in administrators, with 29 permanent staff and 21 casual workers made redundant.

Ex chair of the trust David Burbidge said he had been left "desperately shocked and disappointed" about what had happened.

MPs have all demanded answers from the trust over its financial problems

"It's just the most awful thing that could happen," he added.

The Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, is among local politicians and MPs calling for a city council-led investigation.

"I support the mayor's view that there should be an inquiry at the city council just to see what's happened," he added.

"I'd seen some slight warning signs at the back end of last year, but the outcome is very shocking."

MPs Jeremy Wright, Zarah Sultana, Marcus Jones and Matt Western have all demanded answers from the trust.

Arts group Assembly Festival, which ran the Assembly Festival Gardens, said its future was at risk as it was owed £1.5m in debts by the trust.

But Mr Burbidge, who left the trust in May 2022 at the end of the city's tenure as City of Culture, said the year had been a "massive success".

"We must not forget that. There are lots of physical examples of things that we achieved.

"What we have got to do is recover this situation, we've got to sort out this current mess," he added.

"And then go back to the people who promised funding for the legacy period and... ask them to come back and put their money on the table again for our legacy."