Sacha Lord steps down as Greater Manchester’s night-time economy adviser

Greater Manchester’s first-ever night-time economy adviser Sacha Lord has stepped down after seven years in the role.

 

The co-founder of Parklife and the Warehouse Project (pictured right) was also appointed chair of the board of directors for the Night-Time Industries Association (NTIA) in 2022.

 

During the pandemic, Lord was involved in the campaign to reverse the sector’s VAT rise, taking the government to court to bring forward the reopening date of indoor hospitality in England and launching a legal challenge to the imposition of Tier 3 restrictions in Manchester in 2020.

 

In a statement, Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester (pictured left), said: “Over the past seven years, as our night-time economy advisor, Sacha has been a brilliant and vocal champion for Greater Manchester’s night-time economy and cultural sectors during one of the industry’s most difficult periods in living memory.

 

“He has put a huge amount of time and energy into his work as mayoral advisor, supporting our councils and many local businesses. He has done all of this completely free and out of his own pocket, never taking or receiving any payment for this work.”

 

He added: “Sacha has gradually stepped back from his role in recent months. Last night, he stepped down as Mayoral Advisor. With regret, I accepted his resignation and respect his decision. We value his commitment to Greater Manchester and the massive contribution he has made.” 

 

Lord’s resignation comes amid reports that Arts Council England is seeking to recover a £401,928 grant given to Primary Event Solutions, an events company co-owned by Lord during the pandemic, following a new review conducted by the creative organisation.

 

The Caterer understands Lord owned a minority 30% share in Primary Event Solutions, which is now in liquidation. 

 

Arts Council England had received an allegation of fraud relating to the grant application in July 2022, but the review of the expenditure at the time concluded there was no misuse of public money.

 

However, further questions were raised in May 2024 after The Mill challenged the extent of the event provider’s role in creative events.

 

A spokesperson for Arts Council England said: “We take our role as custodians of public money very seriously and have processes in place to assess applications. If concerns are raised to us about a grant application or award, we investigate and take the appropriate action.

 

“Following a thorough review of the application that Primary Event Solutions submitted to the Culture Recovery Fund in 2021, our decision is to withdraw the grant that was awarded and we are seeking to recover this money.”

 

In response to the grant, Burnham commented: “Sacha has accepted there were inaccuracies in a grant application, and I believe him when he says there was no intention to mislead and that he made no personal gain from the grant. Given that the Arts Council’s Counter Fraud team previously found no misuse of public money, it is not clear to me why the Arts Council has now reached this decision.”

 

In a statement, Lord said: “While we acknowledge the change in grant status, we appreciate that Arts Council England have found that there is no finding against the company that it deliberately misled the Arts Council in this application.  

 

“The company and its former directors have continued to work closely with Arts Council England to evidence that grant funds were used appropriately to support staff wages and company stability during the pandemic. United We Stream, for example, was a hugely successful event which raised £583,000 to support cultural organisations, businesses and individuals affected by lockdown. Supporting such businesses has always been my only mission in my various, unpaid roles.

“However, given the company’s current status in liquidation, and recognising that there are a small number of unintended oversights which have impacted the application’s clarity under the criteria, we accept that the grant status has been updated.

“That said, I remain concerned over inconsistencies and a lack of proportionality in the handling of this matter. Not only has this application been reviewed twice previously by the organisation’s Counter Fraud team, which, after examining the financial evidence and invoicing, concluded on both occasions that it was compliant with grant guidance, but the length of time taken to bring the matter to a close raises cause for concern and these delays have taken a significant, personal toll on myself and my family.

“Furthermore, the invasion of privacy, particularly the targeted harassment of my wife during the final months of her pregnancy, has been deeply troubling and has only reinforced the importance of protecting and spending more time with my loved ones during this period of my life as a new father.

He added: “I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved as a city-region - earning recognition as the ‘night-time capital of the UK’, ranking eighth in the World’s Best Cities for Nightlife, surpassing global destinations like Budapest and Buenos Aires, and successfully introducing initiatives which will transform our nightlife for the better, such as 24-hour night buses. However, the emotional toll and experience over recent months has given me the opportunity to reflect and gradually step back from my role in Greater Manchester. With heartfelt thanks to the Mayor and his team, I have decided to continue in this direction and embrace a new chapter ahead - championing the sector on a national level with fresh focus and energy.”

 

Arts Council England, the liquidators, and the former directors are believed to be working together to determine the best course of action in line with legal and financial regulations, which will be conducted privately.

 

Lord is the second night-time economy adviser to resign after London night czar Amy Lamé stepped down after eight years in the role in October last year.