Body Power, Oakham Fitness Centre, Second Official Opening

Body Power, Oakham Fitness Centre, Second Official Opening?

After Oakham Town Council spent over £60,000 refurbishing the gym for a private owner. The Mayor Cllr Alf Dewis officially opened the gym.

The Rutland Times Published this on Friday 28 September 2012 09:00

A NEW gym has opened its doors.

Oakham mayor Alf Dewis was invited to cut the ribbon at Body Power Oakham Fitness Centre in Princess Avenue.

Today ex Mayor and councillor Jim Harrison publishes on Oakham People details of a second official opening a month on:

Oakaham /fitness Centre Officially Opened

By GrumpyJag | Sunday, October 21, 2012, 16:38

        

On Friday the High Sheriff of Rutland, Bart Hellyer, and Mayor of Oakham Cllr Alf Dewis was shown around the Oakham Fitness Centre-Body Power- by the proprietor Adrian Spurdle.

After the short tour and looking at some of the equipment that will be used there, the High Sheriff of Rutland declared the Centre officially open and said that he hoped it would be used regularly by a lot of people from the area. Click here to see Mr Harrison's photographs

I hope Adrian Spurdle. is very successful  so the tax payer can start to see a return on their investment in around seven years time.... 

Body Power, Oakham Fitness Centre, Princess Avenue, Champagne Celebration, Oakham Town Council Spends Over 60k of tax payers money supporting private company

Body Power, Oakham Fitness Centre, Princess Avenue, Champagne Celebration, 

Oakham Town Council Spends Over 60k of tax payers money supporting private company

Saturday the Champagne flowed as a local 

business celebrated its £60,000 + wind fall 

from Oakham Tax Payers.

The centre was opened by Oakham's Mayor Clrr Alf Dewis

When the previous fitness centre closed the council discussed 

what they should do with the property they hold in trust for

Oakham residents. 

It was suggested the council stopped paying Victoria Hall over 

£10,000 a year to rent two small rooms and move there.

The clerk said the cost to convert the property would be around

£30,000 and he did not think the public would approve.

I can not see why when you consider three years rent would cover 

the cost.and the premises could have also been used for community purposes.

the property was valued in the state the last tenant left it.

Steven Reid gave it a rent value of £12,000

So why did Oakham Town Council change its mind and decide to not put the 

property on the open market?

Why did Councillor Adam Lowe state at a public 

meeting he was chairing "He and other members were shocked

when they were told the cost of the refurbishment?"

Why is it only taking £9,000 a year rent? this means when the 

six year leas ends they will have lost money.

I believe this is the biggest miss-appropriation of public money in the history of Oakham Town Council.

It stinks of corruption.

Oakham Town  Council has spent a quarter of its annual precept supporting a local company.

The Local Government act states the precept must only be spent providing services and activities that

benefit the parish. 

The  fitness Centre is of little or no benefit to the parish of Oakham, it is a commercial profit making company assisted  by the tax payer. I think the tax payer has pumped enough cash into this venture, it is not unreasonable to ask for some sort of return, it is clearly not going to make any from the rent, so  maybe the owners would like to  hand over some shares in the company to the tax payer?

Speaking with local people this morning, people could not believe that so much of their money has been spent on a private company

One even said they might consider asking the company for free membership in return for her monthly council tax payment.

I am writing to our MP Alan Ducan to find out what government department can look into this expenditure.