Cromwell resident David George advised the district council — and Facebook group Cromwell Memorial Hall — six weeks ago he had made a complaint to the Ombudsman regarding planning for the town’s new hall.
However, the council did not receive official word an investigation had been opened until Monday, property and facilities manager Garreth Robinson said.
The council maintained the Cromwell Memorial Hall had been consulted on extensively through the Cromwell master plan.
The plan included "public meetings, town hall meetings, engagement with sector groups, schools, and early childhood centres, council survey, Connect Cromwell survey of the community, options shop in the Cromwell Mall open for drop in sessions over a number of weeks, Cromwell Cultural Centre Trust surveys and engagement with a stakeholder engagement group, long-term plan, community boards meetings".
"We have very clearly heard from the community ‘get on with it’ and that is exactly what we are doing; further delays will only mean more cost to the ratepayer."
The project would proceed as planned, and any concerns found by the Ombudsman’s investigation would be addressed at the time.
A statement from a spokesman for the Office of the Ombudsman confirmed a complaint was being investigated.
However, "as the Chief Ombudsman conducts his investigations in secret, we can not comment further," the statement read.
