News

FAIRY TALE IN SEARCH OF HAPPY ENDING

Dear Ed,

Once-upon-a-time a youth club was set up and run at the Leisuredrome by Cllrs. Peter and Christina Smith, but without success.

Cllr. Peter Smith was a Trustee of the Hawkinge Youth and Sports Council set up at the request of Hawkinge Parish Council to develop the Leisuredrome into a facility for young people. He was given a great deal of time and legal expertise and thus rate-payers' money from Hawkinge Parish Council to achieve that purpose , but without success.

The Government places upon any councillor, and rightly so, the legal duty to obtain the 'best value' from council resources and property.

It is estimated to cost Hawkinge Parish Council approximately £180,000 to get this facility in a state fit for use and within all the relevant legal regulations.

Do they have that sort of money?

I doubt it, yet with planning, this site excluding the Memorial Garden, could yield about £400,000 for all sorts of youth and community projects.

What would you do if it were you if you were in effect running a business called Hawkinge Parish Council within these legal and financial constraints?

Cllr. Colin Tearle