Filton Town Council continues to be troubled by a mysterious container. Sited opposite the council’s Cycle Speedway track, it costs the taxpayer £600 a year to rent and yet no one knows exactly what is inside it. The puzzling container was mentioned at a recent cost cutting meeting. Filton Councillor Roger Hutchinson claimed it contained pedal Go Karts as part of an intended recreational fitness initiative. This scheme, however, has failed to excite the public and in the last year the Go Karts raised only £60 against an expected revenue of £1000. The container has cost the Filton taxpayer £3000 in rent so far.
The Filton container controversy has sparked doubts about the value to the taxpayer of the nearby Cycle Speedway track completed in 2006. Costing approximately £50,000, the track has been barely used by locals and is only occasionally utilised by clubs outside the area, leaving it unused for 350 days a year. Councillor Hutchinson, who also happens to be Filton Cycle Speedway Secretary, explains on its website that the track was built in an effort to re-introduce the sport of Cycle Speedway to the Greater Bristol area, but sadly the club has hit difficulties in recent years and has failed to enter the speedway league in the last two seasons.
A leisure centre manager, however, disagrees with Cllr Hutchinson and says that the costly container holds a large amount of cycle club equipment, for which the club members pay no fee towards its storage. When a recent boules competition spilled over onto the controversial cycle track that, in turn, ignited another debate about Filton Council’s loose use of taxpayers’ money
The latest Filton council uproar concerned a boules court being used regularly by players for free. Recently, the court was given a new sign costing the taxpayer £300 and yet no fee is charged for using it, unlike other council provided sports facilities. In a lively debate at a packed council meeting, one councillor argued ‘There was no point on spending money on looking after the courts if you don’t get income in return.’ Quite, but at least it’s being used…
Tim Newark, Bath and South-West TaxPayers’ AllianceFilton Town Council continues to be troubled by a mysterious container. Sited opposite the council’s Cycle Speedway track, it costs the taxpayer £600 a year to rent and yet no one knows exactly what is inside it. The puzzling container was mentioned at a recent cost cutting meeting. Filton Councillor Roger Hutchinson claimed it contained pedal Go Karts as part of an intended recreational fitness initiative. This scheme, however, has failed to excite the public and in the last year the Go Karts raised only £60 against an expected revenue of £1000. The container has cost the Filton taxpayer £3000 in rent so far.
The Filton container controversy has sparked doubts about the value to the taxpayer of the nearby Cycle Speedway track completed in 2006. Costing approximately £50,000, the track has been barely used by locals and is only occasionally utilised by clubs outside the area, leaving it unused for 350 days a year. Councillor Hutchinson, who also happens to be Filton Cycle Speedway Secretary, explains on its website that the track was built in an effort to re-introduce the sport of Cycle Speedway to the Greater Bristol area, but sadly the club has hit difficulties in recent years and has failed to enter the speedway league in the last two seasons.
A leisure centre manager, however, disagrees with Cllr Hutchinson and says that the costly container holds a large amount of cycle club equipment, for which the club members pay no fee towards its storage. When a recent boules competition spilled over onto the controversial cycle track that, in turn, ignited another debate about Filton Council’s loose use of taxpayers’ money
The latest Filton council uproar concerned a boules court being used regularly by players for free. Recently, the court was given a new sign costing the taxpayer £300 and yet no fee is charged for using it, unlike other council provided sports facilities. In a lively debate at a packed council meeting, one councillor argued ‘There was no point on spending money on looking after the courts if you don’t get income in return.’ Quite, but at least it’s being used…
Tim Newark, Bath and South-West TaxPayers’ Alliance
The Filton container controversy has sparked doubts about the value to the taxpayer of the nearby Cycle Speedway track completed in 2006. Costing approximately £50,000, the track has been barely used by locals and is only occasionally utilised by clubs outside the area, leaving it unused for 350 days a year. Councillor Hutchinson, who also happens to be Filton Cycle Speedway Secretary, explains on its website that the track was built in an effort to re-introduce the sport of Cycle Speedway to the Greater Bristol area, but sadly the club has hit difficulties in recent years and has failed to enter the speedway league in the last two seasons.
A leisure centre manager, however, disagrees with Cllr Hutchinson and says that the costly container holds a large amount of cycle club equipment, for which the club members pay no fee towards its storage. When a recent boules competition spilled over onto the controversial cycle track that, in turn, ignited another debate about Filton Council’s loose use of taxpayers’ money
The latest Filton council uproar concerned a boules court being used regularly by players for free. Recently, the court was given a new sign costing the taxpayer £300 and yet no fee is charged for using it, unlike other council provided sports facilities. In a lively debate at a packed council meeting, one councillor argued ‘There was no point on spending money on looking after the courts if you don’t get income in return.’ Quite, but at least it’s being used…
Tim Newark, Bath and South-West TaxPayers’ AllianceFilton Town Council continues to be troubled by a mysterious container. Sited opposite the council’s Cycle Speedway track, it costs the taxpayer £600 a year to rent and yet no one knows exactly what is inside it. The puzzling container was mentioned at a recent cost cutting meeting. Filton Councillor Roger Hutchinson claimed it contained pedal Go Karts as part of an intended recreational fitness initiative. This scheme, however, has failed to excite the public and in the last year the Go Karts raised only £60 against an expected revenue of £1000. The container has cost the Filton taxpayer £3000 in rent so far.
The Filton container controversy has sparked doubts about the value to the taxpayer of the nearby Cycle Speedway track completed in 2006. Costing approximately £50,000, the track has been barely used by locals and is only occasionally utilised by clubs outside the area, leaving it unused for 350 days a year. Councillor Hutchinson, who also happens to be Filton Cycle Speedway Secretary, explains on its website that the track was built in an effort to re-introduce the sport of Cycle Speedway to the Greater Bristol area, but sadly the club has hit difficulties in recent years and has failed to enter the speedway league in the last two seasons.
A leisure centre manager, however, disagrees with Cllr Hutchinson and says that the costly container holds a large amount of cycle club equipment, for which the club members pay no fee towards its storage. When a recent boules competition spilled over onto the controversial cycle track that, in turn, ignited another debate about Filton Council’s loose use of taxpayers’ money
The latest Filton council uproar concerned a boules court being used regularly by players for free. Recently, the court was given a new sign costing the taxpayer £300 and yet no fee is charged for using it, unlike other council provided sports facilities. In a lively debate at a packed council meeting, one councillor argued ‘There was no point on spending money on looking after the courts if you don’t get income in return.’ Quite, but at least it’s being used…
Tim Newark, Bath and South-West TaxPayers’ Alliance