Internal council emails and accounting records reveal that £30,000 was taken from Peterborough City Council’s children’s services budget in 2016 to support the launch of a local radio project.
The payment was authorised and processed on the same day it was requested. Internal correspondence described the funding as “political” and it was treated as an “exempt” transaction, with no recorded contract, procurement process or monitoring arrangements.
The money was paid to PACO Ltd, a company involved in efforts to establish Peterborough FM. Within weeks of the payment, PACO Ltd changed its registered office to the home address of Councillor Wayne Fitzgerald, who at the time held senior leadership responsibilities within the council.
Peterborough City Council has confirmed it is now conducting an internal review after the payment came to light through Freedom of Information requests submitted by CambsNews.
Emails show same-day political approval
Internal emails released by the council place the decision within a small group of senior elected members and officers.
At the centre of the correspondence is Wendi Ogle-Welbourn, then corporate director of people and communities, responsible for adult and children’s services, education, community safety and housing.
Redacted emails from March 2016 show that in one message to finance officers she wrote: “xxx need £30k (don’t ask – political signed off by leader) – will send you.”
Another email refers to the funding as “£30k seed fund Radio Peterborough”, while finance staff queried whether it was a one-off payment and who the recipient would be.
Ms Ogle-Welbourn also sought explicit confirmation from the then council leader, John Holdich OBE, writing: “Wayne has advised you are in agreement with this – can you confirm for me, thank you.”
Mr Holdich replied later the same day under the subject heading PFM Funding: “He says you are OK with it, if you are OK then I am, JH.”
Finance department emails show officers were instructed to process the payment “as exempt” and code it to the “children’s social care coding pool”, with one message querying whether it could instead be moved into reserves.
PACO Ltd and Peterborough FM
Although the council has not disclosed the original funding request, it has released a letter from Dan Cissokho, who was a director of PACO Ltd at the time.
Writing to Ms Ogle-Welbourn in March 2016, Mr Cissokho thanked her “for agreeing to support Peterborough FM through your innovation fund”.
“As you are aware this promised £30,000 will go towards securing a move for us to more suitable studio premises that also provides for disabled access something we do not currently have,” he wrote.
He said the organisation was under financial pressure and asked for the money to be transferred quickly so it could relocate before the end of March.
“Going forward we will of course wish to maintain ever closer links with yourself and council colleagues as we can see much benefit for the local authority, the 3rd sector and other local community partners,” the letter added.
CambsNews research shows that PACO operated through both a limited company and a registered charity. Charity Commission records show the charity last filed accounts in 2018, reporting income of £19,000, down from £147,000 in 2014.
Council launches inquiry
A spokesperson for Peterborough City Council said the authority had not previously been aware of the £30,000 payment.
“This was a payment from the council to a company which was made almost a decade ago and which – thanks to this FOI request – we have been made aware of,” the spokesperson said.
“We will now be looking to establish the circumstances surrounding this transaction.”
Council leader Cllr Shabina Quayyum (Labour) said the decision pre-dated her administration.
“I would like to thank CambsNews for bringing this matter to our attention,” she said.
“The transaction in question dates back to before my time on the council, almost ten years ago, and to when there was a different cabinet and senior leadership team in place, under the Conservative Party.
“Where decisions have been made in our past which we believe did not follow correct procedure it is important we take a closer look at the circumstances surrounding them.”
Fitzgerald denies knowledge of payment
CambsNews offered Cllr Wayne Fitzgerald a full right of reply, submitting six detailed questions covering the authorisation of the payment, its funding source, governance arrangements, and his relationship with PACO Ltd.
Cllr Fitzgerald said he had “no knowledge of this payment whatsoever” and questioned whether the council had made the payment at all.
“From my own recollections I have no knowledge of this payment whatsoever. In fact, I would question the council again as to whether a payment was actually made,” he wrote, citing what he described as poor historic record-keeping.
This position conflicts with the council’s own accounting records, which show the £30,000 payment, and with internal emails instructing officers to raise and pay the invoice.
Cllr Fitzgerald also rejected the suggestion that he held a senior leadership role at the time, stating: “I don’t recall being in any senior leadership roles at this time, maybe a mere cabinet member.”
However, council records show that in March 2016 Cllr Fitzgerald was deputy leader of Peterborough City Council and a member of the Cabinet.
He was appointed in May 2015 when Cllr Holdich named his Cabinet, appointing Cllr Fitzgerald deputy leader and Cabinet member for integrated adult social care and health — a post reconfirmed at the council’s annual meeting in May 2016.
Internal emails disclosed by the council identify him as the councillor advising officers and the council leader that the £30,000 payment had political approval.
Roles, interests, and registered address
Cllr Fitzgerald said he had “no role” in PACO Ltd at the time the payment was made and confirmed his formal directorship began in 2018, consistent with Companies House records. However, he acknowledged assisting the organisation operationally.
“I have no idea about any payments made to PACO by the council – I was not involved in the running of or in the finances of that company nor did I have any access to its bank accounts or accounts and billing systems,” he said.
Addressing the registered office change, he added: “From memory PACO was having difficulty with their landlords in Norfolk Street at the time owing thousands in unpaid rent and bills and were to be evicted.”
He said his home address was used to provide a stable correspondence address during a planned merger of radio projects.
“I/we merely stepped in to help at the time as a stable point of contact for official correspondence (my home address) from the likes of Ofcom,” he said.
Cllr Fitzgerald said he had been asked by the then chief executive to assist PACO in launching a local radio station, citing his experience in community radio dating back to 1999.
Companies House records show PACO Ltd was originally registered at the Courtyard Business Centre in Norfolk Street. In April 2016, shortly after the £30,000 payment, its registered office changed twice in quick succession before being listed at 27 Gretton Close, Peterborough — Cllr Fitzgerald’s home address.
Although the company has filed no accounts since 2017, it remains registered as dormant, with the Gretton Close address still recorded.
Cllr Fitzgerald became a director of PACO Ltd in January 2018. Mr Cissokho ceased to be a person with significant control in November 2016 and stepped down as a director in February 2018.
Cllr Fitzgerald suggested questions about PACO’s finances should instead be directed to Mr Cissokho, including the use of other grant funding such as lottery and Children in Need money.
Denial of inquiry and threat of legal action
Cllr Fitzgerald said he was unaware of any council inquiry into the 2016 payment, despite the council’s public confirmation that it is now reviewing the matter.
“I am not aware of any ‘council enquiry’ only your continued interest in me and in this matter,” he wrote.
He described the reporting as harassment, said he had copied his solicitor into his response, and warned CambsNews to “stop this harassment”.
The council has separately confirmed it is examining the circumstances of the payment and has acknowledged the challenges of investigating decisions taken nine years ago.
Wider pattern of radio funding
The 2016 payment forms part of a wider pattern of council funding to radio-related organisations between 2012 and 2016, including multiple payments to Radio Peterborough and Peterborough Community Radio Ltd.
The council has told CambsNews it has been unable to locate documentation relating to those earlier payments, despite their appearance in historic accounting records published on its own website.
NB Research and data discovery Terry Harris
