Moulder pool is making a big splash - with our money!!
Regular readers will recall that Boston Borough Council – in the form of the
omnipotent cabinet – came to the rescue of the pool with a five-year
partnership between the council, the Witham Schools Federation and Boston
Amateur Swimming Club.
The plan involved spending £195,000 up-front from council reserves, after which £150,000 would be repaid over five years from third party contributions, and the remaining £45,000 funded from the capital reserve – in other words, written off.
The idea was not popular with councillors other than the less than magnificent seven and it was in fact called in for re-consideration – with the usual inevitable result!
Of course, according to the council, the scheme was an instant and roaring success - with the announcement back in February that attendance at the training pool, which re-opened last September, had increased from 380 young swimmers to 580 a week.
What is not clear is whether swimmers who are members of the partnership organisations pay an individual entrance charge – or whether they are admitted under the deal which sees £30,000 a year paid off the council’s up-front contribution.
If it is the latter, then it makes no difference whether ten people or ten thousand people visit each week, as the income will remain the same.
So how’s the spending going so far?
In September last year – at the start of the deal - repairs to the centre's car park cost £5,000.
In October, refurbishment costs came to £63,000.
In November, gutter lining works cost £4,875, and redecoration of the fitness suite another £4,108.
In December, £1,284 was spent on three 42-inch plasma TVs.
Refurbishment works in January were £24,232.79.
In February, “rubber tiles and border” cost £7,000, locker refurbishment totalled £5,149, resurfacing the car park came to £1,770, and various sundry items swallowed another £1,800.
There was also a spend of £83,000 towards the solar panel installation on the centre’s roof – but that’s a different budget.
In March, two unspecified payments to contractors for “various refurbishment works” accounted for £132,359, and £15,294, plus a new Polyflor costing £2,730 – and some more solar panel spending costing £10,516.
Ignoring the solar stuff – the total so far comes to £241,663.
There was also an earlier refurbishment charge in August last year of £16,228 on a Power Perfector - which brings the total to more than a quarter of a million pounds … so far.
There is obviously still more to come.
The plan involved spending £195,000 up-front from council reserves, after which £150,000 would be repaid over five years from third party contributions, and the remaining £45,000 funded from the capital reserve – in other words, written off.
The idea was not popular with councillors other than the less than magnificent seven and it was in fact called in for re-consideration – with the usual inevitable result!
Of course, according to the council, the scheme was an instant and roaring success - with the announcement back in February that attendance at the training pool, which re-opened last September, had increased from 380 young swimmers to 580 a week.
What is not clear is whether swimmers who are members of the partnership organisations pay an individual entrance charge – or whether they are admitted under the deal which sees £30,000 a year paid off the council’s up-front contribution.
If it is the latter, then it makes no difference whether ten people or ten thousand people visit each week, as the income will remain the same.
So how’s the spending going so far?
In September last year – at the start of the deal - repairs to the centre's car park cost £5,000.
In October, refurbishment costs came to £63,000.
In November, gutter lining works cost £4,875, and redecoration of the fitness suite another £4,108.
In December, £1,284 was spent on three 42-inch plasma TVs.
Refurbishment works in January were £24,232.79.
In February, “rubber tiles and border” cost £7,000, locker refurbishment totalled £5,149, resurfacing the car park came to £1,770, and various sundry items swallowed another £1,800.
There was also a spend of £83,000 towards the solar panel installation on the centre’s roof – but that’s a different budget.
In March, two unspecified payments to contractors for “various refurbishment works” accounted for £132,359, and £15,294, plus a new Polyflor costing £2,730 – and some more solar panel spending costing £10,516.
Ignoring the solar stuff – the total so far comes to £241,663.
There was also an earlier refurbishment charge in August last year of £16,228 on a Power Perfector - which brings the total to more than a quarter of a million pounds … so far.
There is obviously still more to come.
In its February press release, the borough announced that
“during the school summer holidays when the training pool will not be used, it
is to be refurbished.”
How much will that cost, we wonder?
During the debates that followed the announcement of the pool partnerships, councillors uttered the dreaded words Princess Royal Sports Arena to underline their concerns that the Moulder Leisure Centre could become a similar money pit.
Whilst it has a long way to go before it rivals that great financial debacle, it does appear that the spending seems to be getting out of hand, and we wonder whether anyone has been tasked with keeping an eye on how our hard earned council tax is being spent.
You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.
Our former blog is archived at: http://bostoneyelincolnshire.blogspot.com
How much will that cost, we wonder?
During the debates that followed the announcement of the pool partnerships, councillors uttered the dreaded words Princess Royal Sports Arena to underline their concerns that the Moulder Leisure Centre could become a similar money pit.
Whilst it has a long way to go before it rivals that great financial debacle, it does appear that the spending seems to be getting out of hand, and we wonder whether anyone has been tasked with keeping an eye on how our hard earned council tax is being spent.
You can write to us at boston.eye@googlemail.com Your e-mails will be treated in confidence and published anonymously if requested.
Our former blog is archived at: http://bostoneyelincolnshire.blogspot.com
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