Dr Who Experience: Shut venue still costing taxpayers

Image source, Geograph/Lewis Clarke

Taxpayers are still paying the bill for a Dr Who Experience attraction in Cardiff that closed down a year ago.

The Cardiff Bay venue had cost the city's council more than 拢1.1m when it shut in September 2017.

A council budget report revealed it was still costing the council through rates costs which had not been budgeted for.

The authority had subsidised the venue in 2011 through an "invest to save" loan and had planned to recoup the money through ticket sales.

But it overestimated the amount of money the exhibition would bring in over five years.

The move was later described by councillor Russell Goodway, the council's cabinet member for investment, as a bad business decision.

The continuing costs of the Dr Who Experience meant the council's budget for major projects is expected to overspend by 拢36,000 this financial year.

Cardiff council said it would continue to pay rates on the Dr Who Experience building until it was sold.