News is emerging that Green Cabinet member and Ashley Councillor, Sir Gus Hoyty-Toyty, personally signed off a £62,000 payment for Bristol City Council to buy the “under threat” Lynmouth Road Allotments in his ward.
The allotments were put on sale by receivers Grant Thornton in September after Scout Enterprises, owners of the land, went bust. A brief campaign to save the land ensued – and then up popped Hoyty-Toyty to save the day!
He put in a sealed bid of £62k from Bristol City Council for the land on September 25 despite a reserve price of just £20k. The price Hoyty-Toyty was prepared to pay with our money is thought to be excessive as the land is protected by covenants and is of little value to developers.
Meanwhile Hoyty-Toyty, who wasn’t exactly shy about trumpeting how ‘he’ saved the day…
Can officially announce that we have secured the Lynmouth rd allotments from the liquidators. Tough negotiations & cost more. But worth it!
— Gus Hoyt (@MrGreenGus) September 25, 2013
@wood5y @arryTuttle @BristolCouncil Justst secured Lynmouth rd allotments from being sold to developers. Bit of credit where it's due please
— Gus Hoyt (@MrGreenGus) September 27, 2013
…has been rather more coy about exactly how much he spent to help voters in his own ward secure this land, admitting on Twitter only that the land “cost a ‘bit’ more than £20k.”
That ‘bit’ being three times more!