THE controversial award of a contract to run Minehead’s now-derelict Blenheim Gardens Café was not wrong, and should not alarm the public, a Somerset West and Taunton council leader claimed this week.

Cllr Benet Allen (pictured) was replying to campaigners who are asking the Local Government Ombudsman to investigate the circumstances surrounding the award of a contract to William Wynn of Minehead’s Bar 21.

The district council’s scrutiny committee was also asked to look into the agreement and the fact that nothing had been done to re-open the cafe since it closed in 2018, but the committee decided not to investigate the case.

To add to the long-running controversy, Minehead Town Council agreed at its last meeting to apply to the district council to take on the café and gardens as community assets.

This week, Cllr Allen, the council’s communications and corporate resources portfolio holder, said that the authority had “responded robustly” to concerns that had been raised.

He told the Free Press: “The council has awarded a contract to an external operator to run the Blenheim Gardens cafe.  The operator then made a planning application which caused alarm among local residents.

“The alarm was needless, because even a successful application doesn’t confer the right to carry out the work - you need to have the owner’s permission. Besides which, the application has been withdrawn.

“There has been some criticism of the process used to assess the external bids, and the progress of the successful bidder. For some members of the community there is a feeling that SWT have not acted appropriately. We have responded robustly to these concerns where they have been raised.  

“Progress by the selected bidder has been an issue. While we can accept there has been a delay due to Covid, we share the public’s frustration over the work on the building. However, that does not however mean that the award was wrong or that the process was insufficient - a point that has been clarified and defended on a number of occasions.  

“SWT have awarded an agreement to lease, which will be converted to the full lease on completion of the building works. These works are under way, and SWT officers have arranged to inspect their progress.  

“It is essential that the operator deliver on their proposals, completing the works and opening the facility to the public.   

“SWT believes that the fastest and most cost effective route to a resolution is to ensure the operator delivers on their bid. At the end of the day, we all want the cafe open to the public as soon as possible.”