Ealing Council has told EALING.NEWS that £10m of loans provided to now effectively bankrupt Thurrock Council in 2020 were repaid in 2021 along with interest and there are “no outstanding loans with Thurrock, nor any other council.”
Concerns by Ealing residents over the debt were raised on Monday (31 July 2023) when BBC’s Panorama and The Bureau for Investigative Journalism broadcast more details on the financial downfall of the Essex authority.
In the special programme along with in-depth reporting online, it was revealed how Conservative-run Thurrock Council pumped money into solar farms which resulted in its financial mess and how the businessman behind the farms made millions out of it.
Last year, it was also revealed Thurrock Council had borrowed £324m from local government. Ealing Council along with other local authorities across the country including Islington Council, Herefordshire Council, West Suffolk Council and Buckinghamshire Council provided loans to Thurrock Council.
In 2020, Ealing Council provided two loans to Thurrock of £5m each.
Speaking to EALING.NEWS, an council spokesperson said: “All loans previously made to Thurrock have been repaid to the council with the associated interest. Two loans for £5m made on 10 January 2020 and 7 February 2020 were fully settled on 8 January 2021 and 5 February 2021 respectively.”
On Twitter/X, Ealing residents expressed concerns that the council was lending money to other councils.
Seems strange that Ealing council would be loaning that level of money to another council all the while loads of stuff needs to done here that need investment in and Ealing council talk about lack of funds when it comes to this borough
— ❤️citizen Macca (@P15pm) August 1, 2023
The council spokesperson also confirmed to EALING.NEWS that there are no other loans with Thurrock or other councils.
They said: “Today, Ealing Council has no outstanding loans with Thurrock, nor any other council.”
