TRUSTEES at Bridport Leisure Centre will be given a “stay of execution” before a decision is made by West Dorset District Council as to whether grants will be cut.

The district council’s efficiency scrutiny committee agreed to undertake a more thorough review and set up a working group to come up with detailed recommendations for future grants.

In the meantime, funding will be available for the pool to “continue to operate and plan for the future”, subject to approval by the council’s executive committee.

Cllr Sandra Brown, mayor of Bridport, said: “I think we need more time to look at this.

“I feel Bridport at the moment is getting the short straw. We are in danger of turning our town back 30 or 40 years.

“We do have areas of great deprivation and people need things like the leisure centre and the youth centre.”

Cllr Dave Rickard, Liberal Democrat, also spoke in support of the leisure centre and said that the council has “a duty of care” to protect its future.

Gillian Summers, Bridport Leisure Centre trustee, said more time was needed to correct “misleading” information.

She said: “We as directors are concerned that the report does not give you the latest figures or the correct information you would need to make an immediate decision.

“It needs considerable more work from your officers to correct some of the information which might be misleading to members.”

Cllr Ros Kayes, Liberal Democrat, suggested that the council should consider “option C” – an additional grant of £216,247 for the charity to immediately pay off a loan to Lloyds TSB.

Ms Summers added: “Only option C would keep the pool in operation.

“Either of the other two options would inevitably result in the closure of the pool at some point in the future.

“The trust agreed to run the pool on behalf of the council in good faith with an agreement that the council would cover the deficit.”

Leader of the council, Cllr Anthony Alford, Conservative, disputed whether the trust was really at risk of insolvency.

He said: “The board seem to be saying that they have to make that loan payment and that they are at risk of insolvency.

“I’m not sure whether that really is the case. It does lead me to think that a thorough investigation of the finances ought to be made so that we are quite clear exactly where they stand.”

Cllr Alford also defended the council’s involvement regarding any speculation over the future of Bridport Leisure Centre.

He said: “There is nothing that has come from the district council that has caused the threat to the pool.”

Cllr Kayes agreed to support Cllr Peter Shorland’s proposal to set up a working group “if we are giving them a stay of execution.”

Members of the committee unanimously agreed to set up a working group, consisting of Cllr Kayes, Cllr Brown, Cllr Shorland, Cllr Daryl Turner and Cllr Dominic Elliott.

Funding will be awarded while the future of grants to the charity is decided.

Bridport and Lyme Regis News:

THE LEADER of West Dorset District Council has warned that “eye-watering” savings are ahead as councillors discussed proposals to phase out grants to Bridport Leisure Centre.

Cllr Anthony Alford, Conservative, spoke as the council’s efficiency scrutiny committee discussed options for grants awarded to Bridport & West Dorset Sports Trust Limited.

Cllr Alford said: “It does appear the comprehensive spending review is far worse than we anticipated.

“The savings will be eye-watering.

“We have some real problems on a financial front and there’s a lot of work that needs to be done before we can get there.”

The pool runs at an annual loss of £220,000.

Liberal Democrat Cllr Molly Rennie, said that the grant negotiations with Bridport Leisure Centre were taking place when the district council has to “slash and burn” funding.

She said: “It has come to us at a time when we have to make cuts - slash and burn really.

“If we decide to pay off the loans, we have money that we can use to do it. I can see so many organisations that would also want the same thing to happen to them.”