Melvyn Caplan Explained
Melvyn Caplan is a British Conservative politician. He has been a councillor for Little Venice since 1990.[1] He was the leader of Westminster City Council from 1995 to 2000. Until his resignation in 2021, he was the Deputy Leader of the council and Cabinet Member for Finance, Property and Regeneration.[2]
Marble Arch Mound
In February 2021, it was announced that Westminster City Council were constructing a temporary landmark called Marble Arch Mound with Caplan being the project's lead,[3] as part of a plan to revitalise Oxford Street after the closure of several large retailers during the COVID-19 pandemic.[4]
In August 2021, Caplan resigned as Deputy Leader of Westminster City Council after the cost of Marble Arch Mound had risen to £6 million.[5] Westminster City Council leader Rachael Robathan announced the instigation of an internal review "to understand what went wrong and ensure it never happens again".[6]
Notes and References
- Web site: Councillor details Melvyn Caplan. 12 August 2021. City of Westminster. https://archive.today/20220108085339/https://committees.westminster.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=107. 8 January 2022. live.
- Web site: Conservative Group Melvyn Caplan. 12 August 2021. City of Westminster Conservative Group. https://archive.today/20220420171226/https://www.westminsterconservatives.com/people/melvyn-caplan. 20 April 2022. live.
- Web site: Deputy council leader steps down after Marble Arch Mound costs spiral to £6 million. MyLondon. 13 August 2021 . https://archive.today/20220420173331/https://www.mylondon.news/news/west-london-news/deputy-leader-westminster-city-council-21300104. 20 April 2022. live.
- Web site: Council chief confident Oxford Street will be 'brought back from the dead'. London News Online. 26 February 2021. https://archive.today/20220420172042/https://londonnewsonline.co.uk/council-chief-confident-oxford-street-will-be-brought-back-from-the-dead/. 20 April 2022. live.
- News: Marble Arch Mound: Deputy leader resigns amid spiralling costs. BBC News . 13 August 2021 . https://archive.today/20210813100216/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-58197626. 13 August 2021. live.
- Web site: The £6m Marble Arch mound farce: Boss quits as cost doubles. Evening Standard. 13 August 2021 . https://archive.today/20210813074743/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/london/marble-arch-mound-westminster-city-council-deputy-melvyn-caplan-resigns-b950461.html. 13 August 2021. live.
