De Montfort Hall recruiting temporary manager after boss suspended
The recruitment of a temporary manager to run the crisis-hit De Montfort Hall is under way.
The move has sparked outrage among supporters of suspended hall manager Richard Haswell, who are lobbying council leader Ross Willmott to reinstate him.
In a separate development, the Mercury can also exclusively reveal a member of staff at the venue has been told to stay away for his own wellbeing.
Front-of-house manager Mark Cartwright has been absent for two weeks.
Mr Cartwright declined to speak to the Mercury, but we understand senior council officers are him keeping away because they cannot guarantee he will be safe from stress or harassment.
He is not, we can confirm, one of the two employees suspended along with Mr Haswell as part of an ongoing police and council audit investigation into alleged activities at the hall.
A fortnight ago, the Mercury broke the news the hall had exceeded its budget by £1.41m over the past two years.
We also published a report by consultants Deloitte, which found a catalogue of financial, management and contractual problems at the hall.
It was alleged key recommendations made by Deloitte – including recruiting someone to fill the critical post of finance and programming manager – went unheeded by the council.
Mr Haswell was suspended on the eve of the Mercury's first story going to press.
It is understood he has yet to be told why he has been suspended, or how long it might last.
It has emerged the council is now seeking to recruit an "experienced hall manager and art director" to manage the hall for six months.
An advert on the Mercury's jobs website, said "business acumen" was "more important than arts experience".
An internet Facebook group set up in support of Mr Haswell has reached more than 470 members since the advert appeared, last Thursday.
Members of the group have e-mailed council leader Ross Willmott to condemn the council's treatment of Mr Haswell and call on Coun Willmott to give an explanation.
Among them is Nick Hallam, De Montfort Hall's marketing manager from 1998 to 2001.
"I said I was disappointed by the way Richard was being treated," said Mr Hallam.
"He is one of the most inspiring people I have ever worked for.
"To suspend him without telling him what for and then advertising his job is bizarre. It looks, to me, like a stitch-up."
The fact so many senior arts industry figures were supporting Mr Haswell on Facebook suggested the council would struggle to find a suitable candidate to manage the hall, added Mr Hallam.
A statement previously issued to the Mercury by the city council said the suspension of Mr Haswell and two other employees was a "neutral act", enabling its investigation to take place and "did not imply guilt".
The Mercury approached Coun Willmott and Andy Connelly, cabinet lead for culture, for responses to issues raised in this story. Neither had replied at the time of going to press.
A statement from the council's press office said: "The city council has nothing further to add to the substantial amount of information it has already provided to the Leicester Mercury on De Montfort Hall."
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by hmmmm, Leicester
Wednesday, October 28 2009, 3:51PM
“does Rob Watson own a demolitions firm? He suggests knocking down DMH, The Pump and Tap etc... what else would you like to knock down Rob?”
by Rob Watson, Leicester
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 3:57PM
“Who cares about DMH? Knock it down and force people to go elswhere. If it dont make dollars it dont make sense.”
by Barry Chuckle, Rothley
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 3:45PM
“Well when you can't attract big names like Peppa Pig then what hope have you got? Sack the lot of 'em. PP choosing Nottingham above Leicester? Must have swine flu!”
by sean, Leicester
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 3:31PM
“Yes - for me this is a much more balanced and less sensational article from the Mercury. I can't help thinking that if this had been Adam's approach from the start then we might be in a less messed up position but I am really glad to see the 'facts' being reported here with less gloss...
Neil - your analysis of the situation is perceptive. Let's never let those who have allowed this horrible situation to develop off the hook. Let's campaign tirelessly to ensure that anybody responsible for this is made to explain - and held accountable if mistakes have been made.
Who owns the Summer Sundae name? Is it the city council? I think I heard somewhere that it's not which could make any future discussions interesting??”
by Matthew, Marketing Harborough
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 2:50PM
“'We can't keep subsidising incompetence. And incompetence is all you'll ever get throughout the public sector.' Nick Di Perna, West End
Nick - I think it's costing me far more at the moment, and will cost the country for years to come, to make up for the incompetence in the private sector - or haven't you noticed the banking crisis and the recession.”
by Rebecca Rabbit, Leicester
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 2:22PM
“My kids had to travel to Nottingham to see the Peppa Pig show, nuff said!”
by Neil, leicester
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 2:04PM
“This is a muchmore helpful article from the Mercury, and at last starts to bring out the skullduggery which has gone on behind the scenes and which has scapegoated Richard Haswell. His suspension was just too convenient as the details about the Hall's mismanagement were about to break, implying as it did that he was responsible, rather than more senior people within the local authority. At the same time, the issue around the Hall is a very helpful diversion from the greater excesses of Curve, Phoenix et al for which the council has provided no rational explanation. There are two clear requirements here: one is to get Richard back in post with his name cleared, and the other to draw up a coherent picture of the devastation our elected representatives and their lackey senior managers have imposed on the cultural landscape, and make sure they are brought to account. I hope the Mercury will continue using its position to influence a positive outcome to this debacle.”
by JB, Leicester
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 1:52PM
“Nick di Perna - to make such a sweeping statement about the public sector is ill informed and highly offensive.
I have worked in the public sector for many years and can assure you I'm neither lazy, corrupt or incompetent, and I can safely and happily say the same about the vast majority of people I work with.
It's time you learned to engage your brain before opening your mouth - or your internet browser.”
by Hmmmm, Leicester
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 1:38PM
“Lots of people seem to be calling for Wilmott's head over this thread, assuming he can't be in the right because they like Richard Haswell or go to Summer Sundae. IF there IS wrong-doing, fraud or whatever then all this will prove to have been the right course of action. If there's not, then Haswell has a long, if very stressful, holiday at the expense of the taxpayer and returns as some sort of hero and all his friends who write in here to support him will be double-happy and then he can continue not knowing how many guest list places there are at SSW with impunity.”
by Nick Di Perna, West End
Tuesday, October 27 2009, 1:31PM
“Sell De Montfort Hall!
We can't keep subsidising incompetence. And incompetence is all you'll ever get throughout the public sector.”