Inaccurate figures used to seek council funding approval

Inaccurate figures are being used by council officers to seek approval of council funding for a Feel Good Festival in 2011.

In an evaluation report of the 2010 Feel Good Festival a claim known to be inaccurate is published: that “an estimated 10,000+ people attended” the 2010 Feel Good Festival.

In early September the Council Communications Team sent out a media release headed: “Record year for Feel Good Festival”. Rochdale Online had a large team of reporters and photographers at the 2009 and 2010 events and was highly sceptical of the record year claim and therefore sought clarification of the numbers.

It took several emails to elicit the required information but eventually it became clear there were two flaws in the council statistical analysis:

• People being counted multiple times 
• No count having been taken in 2009 made a comparison with 2010 impossible

If a festival visitor attended the market, the food tent, and a music venue on the Friday and then the market, the food tent and the main stage on Saturday – a highly credible scenario - the council counted that as 6 people yet the reality is it is 1 person. Hence the claim of 10,000+ people is an exaggeration.

The claim to be a record year can also be questioned. Rochdale Online asked the Council on what basis it was making the claim, to which the Council reply was using the 10,000 figure for 2010 (which is flawed) in comparison to a figure of 5000 for 2009. When asked from where the figure for 2009 came, the Council said Town Centre Management. When asked, Town Centre Management admitted no count had been taken in 2009. When this was relayed to the Council Communications Team they said they had no responsibility to check the accuracy of the 2009 figure – despite using this to generate the sensational headline and story.

In mid September Rochdale Online relayed these findings to senior management at Rochdale Council and was asked not to publish a proposed article on the grounds that it was a genuine mistake and there had been no intent to deceive – Rochdale Online agreed to that request.

However, we publish now because the inaccurate claim is repeated in an evaluation document that will be presented as fact to councillors at a forthcoming Cabinet meeting.

Deputy Leader of the Council, Councillor Ashley Dearnley said: “All I can say is it was really popular and very well attended which is good.” 

A spokesman speaking on behalf of Rochdale Council, said: “The council stands by its assessment that over 10,000 people attended the Feel Good Festival."

Leader of the Labour Group on Rochdale Council, Councillor Colin Lambert said he would comment after Thursday’s council cabinet meeting.