Probe launched into 'Festival of Brexit' - the scheme which installed Weston's SEE Monster
The National Audit Office is looking into the management of 'Unboxed' - and how millions of pounds of public money was spent
The National Audit Office - the public spending watchdog - is set to look into what people have been dubbing the Government's so-called "festival of Brexit."
In total, £120 million of public money was invested into 'Unboxed' - a project unveiled back in 2018 by Theresa May as an event once supposed to draw the spirit of the 1851 National Exhibition and 1951 Festival of Britain.
It's intended to celebrate "creativity across all four nations of the United Kingdom".
One of those projects is based right here in the South West - Weston's SEE Monster - a decommissioned and re-imagined oil rig that once found itself in the North Sea.
However, claims of it being an "irresponsible use" of cast, with "so much taxpayer money frittered away for so little return" have brought the project back into question.
That's along with reports of visitor numbers reaching just one per cent of early targets which has triggered the latest announcement.
According to Politics Home, the festival had received 238,000 visitors compared with an initial "stretch target" of 66 million by the organisers.
Back in September, Conservative MP Julian Knight - Chairman of the DCMS Committee - said: "That such an exorbitant amount of public cash has been spent on a so-called celebration of creativity that has barely failed to register in the public consciousness raises serious red flags about how the project has been managed from conception through to delivery.
"The NAO's investigation will bring welcome and thorough scrutiny and help get to the bottom of how so much taxpayer money could be frittered away for so little return."
Unboxed say visitor targets not being reached is a "misrepresentation" of the level of public engagement they've received - especially as they reflect eight of the 107 physical locations hosting a programme during the year of events with the Unboxed project.
Phil Batty, Unboxed 2022's Chief Operating Officer, said: "SEE Monster is a truly fantastic asset to Weston. I do think it's a good example of when you have science and art together, you can create some truly magnificent pieces of work.
"It's really important you have that scrutiny and oversight when you're spending large amounts of public money from all four governments of the UK. We've been working with the NAO since 2019 and we're looking forward to working with them on this report."
Phil added: "Government set aside funding for this project since 2018, with two clear aims, to bring people together and celebrate creativity. I think SEE Monster and the other nine projects do just that, and we're really pleased how the public have engaged with the program."
A Spokesperson for the Department for Culture, Media and Sport also said they do not agree with the views of the National Audit Office.
The results of the NAO's report into the management of Unboxed will be announced in the coming months, with the exact timetable to be announced, whilst the Unboxed celebrations will finish at the end of 2022.
Because of restrictions with planning, SEE Monster will be decommissioned itself - and dismantled in less than a months' time - on November 6.