AT THE council meeting on December 24, when the future of the BBHLC was discussed, it was clear that the Leisure Futures Study report was woefully inadequate. Some councillors challenged the report logic and vague assumptions while evidence was presented to prove that Sport England consider it was fundamentally flawed in the way that it had calculated the ‘facility need’ metrics, an absolutely critical aspect, which was used originally to declare ‘BBHLC surplus to requirements’.
It was not within the procedural remit of that council meeting to modify the previous cabinet decision to adopt the report ‘as guiding policy which will provide the evidence base for future leisure planning across the district’. Clearly this is an untenable position given the lack of credibility the document now has. I therefore call upon the cabinet to show true leadership and demonstrate their integrity beyond doubt, by setting this report aside and rescinding the already adopted strategies flowing from it. The process that the full council has now committed to will require a lot of hard work for all involved to reach a conclusion in May 2012 that can carry the most widespread support. The financial situation will make this very tough indeed. It is imperative that all parties can work with full respect and trust. Having a ‘dodgy dossier’ in the background, with conclusions incorrectly drawn, will not help.
Please cabinet, show that you are honourable, lead by example, withdraw the document in its current form and set aside the decisions based on it. This will then ‘clear the decks’ and facilitate a genuine consultation period of which you could justly be proud to have initiated.
PAUL KORNYCKY
Cox Green, Rudgwick
