Southend Council has lost almost £360,000 due to fraud involving forged documents by a local architect
Southend: So, here’s the scoop. Oliver Schneider, a 49-year-old architect, got himself in a heap of trouble. He was sentenced at Basildon Crown Court after the council’s fraud team found out he had been messing with documents. This led his company, Facility Architects, to claim over £110,000 more than they should have.
Because of this, the council had to cough up more than £360,000 to return grant funds to the European Regional Development Fund. Ouch!
This whole mess started with the “Really Smart House Project.” It was a collaboration between Southend Council, South Essex Homes, and Schneider’s firm, which he co-directed. Talk about a bad partnership!
Schneider, who lives in West Malling, Kent, got a two-year prison sentence, but it’s suspended for 18 months since he admitted to five counts of forgery back in February 2024.
Paul Collins, the councillor in charge of finance, made it clear that they’re serious about protecting public funds. He said the fraud team did a great job uncovering this scam and that they’re working hard to recover the lost money.
He also mentioned that the pandemic caused delays in the prosecution, but they were determined to see justice done. Fraud like this really messes with their ability to provide essential services, so they’re not taking it lightly.
The “smart house” project was supposed to be a cool initiative to upgrade homes with eco-friendly features, all on a not-for-profit basis. But then, inconsistencies popped up in the invoices and bank statements Schneider submitted back in 2013, leading to a full investigation in 2019.
When Schneider was sentenced on December 19, there were no extra conditions like rehabilitation. The council is now working to get back what they lost. Plus, there are 17 more fraud offenses that will stay on file. His co-defendant, Claire Price, was found not guilty since the council didn’t have enough evidence against her.
If anyone knows anything about fraud against Southend Council, they can report it confidentially to the counter fraud team at 01702 215254 or email counterfraud@southend.gov.uk.
