Three Ally Pally trustees have expressed their dismay that the Alexandra Palace accounts have been submitted to the Charity Commission without the unanimous approval of the Board of Trustees.

Attempts by the three councillors, Bob Hare, John Oakes, and Neil Williams, to have their concerns taken on board were ignored by the Palace, and the accounts were submitted on the basis of a majority vote of Labour trustees, conducted via email.

The three have now challenged the Board of Trustees to justify their refusal to accept the changes, which centre around the period when the Trust granted a controversial licence to Firoka, leading to losses running into millions of pounds.

The three objected to the lack of clarity in the way in which these very large amounts were disclosed, and wanted the accounts to report the overall costs of the failed attempt to sell the Palace.

Trustee Bob Hare comments:

“It is extremely worrying that the Labour trustees have not sought to engage with us or reach agreement and address these concerns in the interest of the Palace. We have made every effort, but our concerns have been swept aside.

“The Charity Commission were not even contacted to see if they minded a slight delay while an attempt was made to resolve the stalemate.

“The Commission will be well aware of the serious concerns surrounding the license – and the Trust itself was months late submitting accounts last year.

“The vote was conducted by email, without any further meeting, a procedure which itself is open to question.

“This worrying step by those trustees appointed by the Labour Council shows more than ever that we need an independent chair and indpendent trustees at the Palace.

“We have no wish to conduct Palace matters by complaints to the Charity Commission, but we have a responsibility as trustees to safeguard the Palace and Park for Haringey’s residents and other Londoners. It is those people, after all, who are the beneficiaries of the Ally Pally charity, and if our concerns over the accounts are ignored in this way, then that is how we will have to do it.”