8:59am Monday 11th December 2006
By Stephanie Tye
THE finance expert behind the Keep Leisure in Cricklade campaign (KLIC) says the group is not scared by financial reports into leisure centres in North Wiltshire.
On Saturday, North Wiltshire District Council (NWDC) put reports relating to North Wiltshire Leisure Ltd's (NWLL) management of Cricklade, Lime Kiln and Calne leisure centres on its website.
The company's accounts, dated up until March this year, shows it was losing money.
Figures show that Cricklade's centre is due to end up £168,605 down at the end of April if the current year's trend continues. It had leaked £98,353 by the end of October.
Lime Kiln in Wootton Bassett will end up £203,062 down if the same rate of loss carries on for the rest of the financial year - up to the end of October it had lost £118,453.
But Nick Carter said that while they needed to look at the figures in greater depth, he was convinced that the community in Cricklade could run the facility and break even.
"The reports show that the centre will lose £170,000 by the end of the year," he said.
"But £75,000 of that is management fees, which covers a whole host of sins.
"The council currently gives NWLL £800,000 to run the six leisure centres - if we were given our proportion of that, it should total around £60-70,000."
That would leave the centre with about a £30,000 deficit, which Mr Carter said could be solved by getting more people through the doors and installing a caf or bar.
"My personal reaction to the figures is that you can write a report in such a way that it says what you want it to," he said.
"I think they thought we are going to close three leisure centres, let's write a report that gives us that answer'."
The accounts also show that NWLL was aware it would have to close some of the centres by December this year.
Among the documents published on the council's website is a report looking at the state of the buildings.
The report on the centre at Cricklade said the building is generally in poor order and significant repairs are required.
It recommends complete refurbishment of the public areas.
The report says that the Lime Kiln building is outdated and looks tired and recommends refurbishment and modernisation.
It also says access for a disabled person would be difficult.
NWDC scrutiny committee will be examining the decision to close the centres at a meeting tonight.
It is taking place at Monkton Park, Chippenham at 6pm.
Join the fight to Save Our Leisure Centres and add your name to the online petition.
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