Basic consultation on new Leisure Centre in Bedlington not yet underway, with only 5 months to 'Purdah'

Purdah is the name given to the period of Council inactivity prior to an election period. In Northumberland one of murky's comments is that since May 2017 the whole Council including its political-wings have been in a complete state of disarray.

The local press have been bulling up the possibility of a new leisure centre complete with a swimming pool in the parished town of west Bedlington.  Its three Councillors who stood as independents have shown full support for the damaged and accused of corruption by the Councils Chief Executive, minority Tory administration whose leader Councillor Peter Jackson was sacked by his colleages recently. The independent councillors from Bedlington were accused of selling their vote as they attempted to save the beleaguered Councillor Jackson in order to secure the promise of a multi million pound vote winning spend. 

 

The Council has not yet agreed to shift funding towards the Bedlington scheme. It is believed in the leisure trade that the development of another centre in South-East Northumberland would lead to at least one of its current centres closing. Some of which sit in the county's poorest areas suffering transport deprivation, huge numbers of obese adults and children along with a rapidly aging population facing all the problems of ex heavy industry and mining health problems. The closure of any of its current sites will lead to Northumberland slipping back rapidly in the healthy communities league tables.

 

To make a decision of this magnitude, the Council needs to survey all of its Leisure Services users to see they assist their decision to close a centre to appease their independent associates from Bedlington whose votes they now rely on. They haven't bothered but are still leading their gang by the nose and they haven't noticed the nose string is being tightly twisted.

 

Currently covid-19 aside the Councils leisure team struggle to attract business from outside of the County to assist in developing a break even trading account. During the last labour administration its regeneration company ARCH supported leisure services with £1m in revenue each year, a process that was subjected to the now famous lies spun out by the Tory Party under Councillor Peter Jackson but its accounts lodged with companies House tell the true tale.

 

ARCH was scrapped by Councillors Jackson and Wearmouth in 2017 changing it to ADVANCE Northumberland at huge expense to the Council taxpayer. Topping that by losing £4m in each of the first two years acounts are available for public viewing, assisting the Council to lose its external auditor into the bargain. Something even tories can't be proud of.

 

Guide to the Arch Accounts Filed at Companies House;

 

Arch has in the period 2016-2017.

 

Made a charitable contribution of £1m to Active Northumberland during both 2015/16 and 2016/17 (Page 7)

 

Seen turnover increased from £10.3m to £22.4m during 2016/17, with gross profit increasing from £7.1 to £16.7m (Page 7)

 

Observed a substantial increase in fixed assets values from £137m to £318m during 2016/17, largely funded through the use of the groups "commercial loan facility" with Northumberland County Council (as quoted on page 7)

 

Shareholder funds increased by £6.6m to £60.1m during 2016/17 (Page 7) meaning that if they sold Arch tmrw they would bank £60m after all debt was paid off.

 

Inward investment and strategic account management has contributed to the leverage of £143m private sector investment into Northumberland and the creation of 409 jobs (Page 8)

 

It secured funding of £24.8m for the acquisition, remediation and reclamation of the former RWE site at East Sleekburn (Page 9) Energy Central.

 

Completion of 100 (38+38+24) new residential properties through Ascent homes during 2016/17 (as quoted on page 10). As an aside this would have directly benefited Northumberland County Council through an increased New Homes Bonus Grant amounting to approximately £600k over a 4 year period) (100*£1485*4 years)

 

Made a profit during 2016/17 £5.5m (page 15)

 

Projects under construction (regeneration in progress) increased by £9.5m to £17.9m during 2016/17 (Page 28)

 

Revaluation gains on assets purchased of £6.6m, with impairments of £1.4m (this may have been the Ashington hole), producing a net gain to Arch and Northumberland County Council of £5.2m (Page 28)

 

Interest payments to Northumberland County Council through the commercial loan facility of £8.3m, an increase of £5.1m during 2016/17 (Page 32)

 

Total payments to Northumberland County Council of £9.4m, including interest on the commercial loan facility, business rates, council tax, planning applications, section 278 agreements and other services (Page 34)

 

Average staff numbers within the Arch group increased by 52% from 74 to 113 during 2016/17 (page 7)

 

Other points of reference

 

Future plans Page 3 the Chairman Cllr Wearmouth states " The business will continue to trade whilst preparations are made to dissolve the Arch Group and the assets will then be disposed of in an orderly fashion"

 

The Auditors have issued an unqualified audit opinion, and as part of that they state adequate accounting records have been kept i.e. they have no issues to report! (It stands for 'pathetic failure' in their audit speak) (page 14)

 

Page 10 includes the "risk of Northumberland conservatives manifesto pledge to scrap Arch"

 

All in all one of the biggest and most successful development companies in the North East of England if not the UK, has now about to be sent to the dogs to appease the prime donors to the Tory Party in Northumberland: and Morpeth Freemasons of course!