Devil is in the detail

Your correspondent Chic Carvell quite rightly challenges the logic of SBC allowing Twigmarket to reduce the Broome Manor nine-hole course to one consisting of six holes SA October 13).

It’s patently absurd on a number of counts.

Back in 2014 you published a letter from me in which I called into question the claim by councillors that the Broome Manor Golf complex was a drain on council funds.

Figures produced by the council prior to the handover, confirmed Broome Manor Golf generated an operating profit of £60k whereas the catering lost £70k - applying the cross-subsidy principle it can be seen that the entire complex cost the Swindon council taxpayer £10k per year. The council also acknowledged the 'strong position of golf income at the Manor'

In a cabinet decision note dated March 2011, the council accepted that the course was not expected to make an annual profit (clause 2.28)

Coun Renard, who always claimed to be capable of making the 'tough decisions', simply ducked the issue and instead of tasking the management to bridge the £10k gap between income and expenditure on a combined turnover of over £1m, he took the easy option and offered the facility to Twigmarket.

Given that SBC had managed Broome Manor since it opened in 1976, I suggested that the level of experience contained in the management team must be considerably greater than that offered by Twigmarket which was formed 14 years after Broome Manor was opened.

Coun Keith Williams told Swindon residents that the most attractive element of the deal with Twigmarket was that SBC will 'make money from the lease' - as ever the devil is in the detail.

According to Coun Williams the way in which SBC will make money was 'dependant on performance'. Today, I challenge Coun Williams to tell the people of Swindon exactly how much money has SBC made from the deal?

Des Morgan

Caraway Drive

Swindon

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