News

Dear Editor,

Re: Time is running out for sports centre

Opinion is free, facts are sacred (C.P. Snow). 

Obviously the creator of your letter/comment (which has just been brought to my attention) about Shepway District Council doesn’t regard facts as sacred because rarely could so many inaccuracies be peddled in a single contribution. 

Let’s try and give the facts a fighting chance – and set the record straight for the people of Hawkinge. 

General issues first…. 

● Shepway has not been rated a ‘poor’ authority by the Audit Commission. 

● There is no ‘threat of government action’ hanging over us. 

● The council has not been ‘warned’ by auditors to sign a contract with an outside contractor for its street cleaning service. We are bringing this service back in house later this year following the end of the contract we have with KCC. This will be in line with our corporate objective to improve the appearance of the district. 

● The council contracted out the street cleansing and grounds maintenance service to Kent County Council which helped the council at a time it was facing financial difficulty. The council’s financial position has since improved and as a result we are now in a position to take the services back in house. By bringing the control of these services back in house the council will have the opportunity to improve the appearance of the district, one of its key corporate objectives. 

● Bringing the service back in house will not be at ‘vast cost to the council’ or the half a million quoted. In terms of the council utilising £500,000 from reserves so far, to deal with the grounds maintenance and street cleansing contract, the council has utilised no such sum from its reserves. In fact, the council has steadily contributed towards it reserves, strengthening its financial position. 

Now onto the misleading ‘statements’ about the council’s PFI sports project. 

● As referred to in the report, the council does have an anticipated level of debt of £33 million. It also holds investments amounting to £17 million, and its net debt position is therefore £16 million. There is no ‘recommended limit’ in place for the level of reserves an authority should hold. The Chartered Institute of Public Finance recommends authorities make their own judgements on such matters, taking into account relevant local circumstances. The council’s finances are not ‘critical’ and it has a robust Medium Term Financial Strategy which addresses the key financial pressures facing the authority in the coming three financial years. 

● The ‘acrimonious’ meeting cited between Folkestone Sports Centre Trust and Shepway Council is a figment of an imagination of someone who wasn’t there. 

● The Centre’s ski slope, golf course, tennis courts and skateboard park will remain part of the new centre. Although not part of the PFI scheme, they will not be ‘lost’. These facilities have been removed from the PFI contract but still form part of the project and may well be delivered by the same private contractor that operates the main facilities. 

● The user figures incorporated within the Draft Business Case were carefully reviewed and considered by the Steering Group and our leisure consultants. Although one of the partners previously had concerns regarding the levels of projected users they were more comfortable with the revised figures incorporated within the January 2007 Draft Business Case. 

● The closure of Hythe pool will not ‘force people to go to Folkestone to swim.’ The pool would not close until Hythe’s new sports centre is open. 

● It follows, inevitably, that we will not be keeping the Hythe Pool annual subsidy or the £4m to £5m from the sale of the Hythe site. Both will go towards improving sports facilities in Hythe. 

● It is a fact that the cost of the sports centres project has risen and the council needs to find an extra £159,000 in revenue contributions. This is above the £178,000 extra we have already agreed to find and means a total annual revenue cost of £775,000 compared to £438,000. This does present us with a huge predicament. We are committed to delivering better sports facilities but we also have to consider our duty to local council tax payers. 

● As readers of the Hawkinge Gazette website will probably already know, the Department for Culture Media and Sport has recently told the council of its concerns about the proposed role of the Folkestone Sports Centre Trust in the PFI project. We have until 1 March to present an alternative viable case for the PFI credits – or risk losing them. 

Alistair Stewart

Chief Executive

Shepway District Council