Festival outdoor gigs look set to face chop; David Bartlett reports on developments in the Mathew Street fiasco, as emails reveal Culture board 'knew nothing'.

Byline: David Bartlett 

THE outdoor element of this year's Mathew Street Festival appeared doomed last night.

One of the festival's founders, Bill Heckle, from Cavern City Tours, told the Daily Post it was looking "increasingly unlikely" that the festival's famous outside stages could be saved for this year.

But last night Cllr Warren Bradley, leader of Liverpool City Council, refused to give up on the festival after his weekend pledge that it would be saved for the more than 100,000 people who enjoy it every year.

Cllr Bradley said: "We are still working hard on this, we should be able to save something."

The festival was cancelled last week, just three weeks before it was due to take place, after health and safety consultants Capita Symonds said public safety could not be guaranteed.

The Daily Post can also reveal the board of the Culture Company, which had taken over the running of the festival, "was not consulted nor informed of the problems" ahead of last week's cancellation.

An email exchange between the chairman of the Culture board, Prof Drummond Bone and council leader Warren Bradley, obtained by the Daily Post, also reveals Prof Bone's frustration that board members felt they had been "hung out to dry" over the cancellation.

Prof Bone told Cllr Bradley he wanted to put out a public statement saying the board knew nothing but would probably have made the same decision.

But Cllr Bradley told Prof Bone to keep quiet for the time being as the damage had already been done and the situation "is irretrievable publicity wise and rank bad management".

It also emerged last night that a cancelled Culture Company board meeting planned for tomorrow has now been reconvened at the insistence of Liverpool Riverside MP Louise Ellman who sits on the board.

It is understood the problems with having an outdoor event are now "insurmountable" and that when one problem is solved another two pop up.

Bill Heckle said: "It's looking increasingly unlikely that there will be outside stages.

"It will be a great weekend indoors if there's no final solution.

"If we go indoors let's have a party anyway."

He said there would still be between 50 and 60 venues staging indoor events.

Mr Heckle said the event had been handed over to the Culture Company with the hope it would be improved.

"We will not be giving total control over as we have in the past. We will sit down with the 2008 company and the council.

"It was a great theory, but it has caused absolute chaos."

He said the planning was already under way for 2008 and it would be presented to the Culture Company and the council in September.

Last night, Cllr Bradley said this was the biggest issue he had had to deal with since becoming city leader.

When asked about Mr Heckle's belief that it was looking increasingly unlikely there would be outside stages he said:

"I would not comment myself on that yet. I did say yesterday, a crucial 48 hours. There's people working on this as we speak."

He said it was a rollercoaster of emotions trying to deal with the problems as things chopped and changed.

"Until the actual plan is completely drawn up, and the risk assessments finished there are peaks and troughs in this."

He said Capita Symonds were working with the council to overcome the issues that had been raised.

In response to calls from deputy Labour leader Cllr Paul Brant that he should resign, Cllr Bradley said he had the support of council officers, the media and members of the public.

He said he did not want to make it political but that maybe Cllr Brant should bring something to the table.

In regard to the inquiry into the debacle, being overseen by council chief executive Colin Hilton, Cllr Bradley said all initial interviews had taken place, but that he could not give more detail because he was not taking a role in it.

He said the email exchange was private and he would not comment on it.

Cllr Brant said: "I am ready to assist in any way I can, so far all my requests for information have been ignored.

"The Culture Company board appear to have been let down as much as the residents of the city."

He said he was still waiting for Cllr Bradley to make good his promise to set up an independent inquiry into the events, as he did not consider one led by the council chief executive independent.

Ms Ellman said: "The meeting was planned and then cancelled about three weeks ago.

"Once this problem arose I asked for it to be convened. "Now I can see this issue has been known about for some time I amvery concerned this meeting was cancelled."

She said her first priority would be making sure the event went ahead, but then she would be demanding answers.

"It's not about witch hunts but accountability. "A bombshell press release saying it is cancelled is not good enough."

"It was not even accurate.

There is a big question about competence and accountability."

She said the fiasco raised concerns about the management of this event and future ones.

The whole structure and

decision-making mechanism will be brought under the spotlight, she said: "There needs to be some clarity on this."

Prof Bone said: "I am extremely disappointed that private and confidential correspondence between board members has been leaked to the Press. I will not be making any further comment."

OPINION: PAGE 12; BILL GLEESON - BUSINESSWEEK: PAGE 8

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CAPTION(S):

Crowds of people in Castle Street at the Mathew Street Festival; Louise Ellman; Warren Bradley; Prof Drummond Bone; Bill Heckle; Jason Harborow, chief executive of Liverpool Culture Company, leaving Anthony Brown's 100 Heads Thinking as One exhibition at St George's Hall last night Picture: ANDREW TEEBAY/at070807bharborow-1