LETTERS: Councillor’s rambling comments are unacceptable

I find the ramblings of Coun Dominic Hinkins on your pages 6&7 of the 10 March, and his “repeat letter” in Viewpoint, unacceptable and giving a distorted view that doesn’t reflect the true facts

It is tantamount to bringing the Council into disrepute.

He accuses some of the councillors of “already making their minds up before the extraordinary meeting “.

The extraordinary meeting was called so that the council could consider the Business Plan documents, which were issued too late to be properly considered at the February council meeting.

8 votes to 1 against the funding, is a clear indication that the scheme was not viable for the council to commit public money.

Coun Hinkins should not be speaking on the council’s failure to support his request for 25k for the Youth Centre to be reopened, when he is “still supporting” the Recreation Project as a member of the Council Working Group were he says the goal posts have changed.

He has stated that the 50k was earmarked by the Council without any plans or financial costings.

He fails to recognise that he was a party to this decision before the Youth Club became a political football created by him in an election year for the County Council.

As the Council observer for the Youth Club Project I have spent time reviewing the Business Plan and can say, based on my construction and commercial project experience, the plan is not viable.

It lacks a realistic understanding of the condition of the building and its services and has not been properly surveyed externally or internally and evidence submitted, that the building meets current regulations.

If Coun Hinkins believes that the trustees have a viable scheme and an income stream that exceeds expenditure, as he suggests, and the survey shows there are no hidden costs, then he should have the confidence to take the project on and secure funding/loans against the market value of the building and the site through an asset transfer from LCC. The fact that LCC have refused to offer any financial assistance is rather telling as they have let the building fall into a poor condition. It is not the Town Councils responsibility to throw money after bad.

Coun Richard Barker, RIBA.

Via email