Council chief refuses to quit over air show losses

9:00pm Thursday 4th September 2008

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Council bosses are refusing to resign over an air show blunder which left taxpayers £361,000 out of pocket.

David Tutt, the leader of Eastbourne Borough Council, said he would not step down over the disastrous decision to introduce a £5 charge for this year’s Airbourne show.

Spiralling overheads and a reluctance among visitors to pay to get into the event, which had been free in previous years, led to the huge losses.

But despite calls for heads to roll, Councillor Tutt said he, his cabinet colleagues and the officers involved in the decision would not stand down.

Airbourne made an operating loss of £170,000. The council predicted the event would make £191,000, leaving it with a hole in its budget of £361,000.

The council has pledged not to pass the loss onto the taxpayer or be forced into service cuts.

Instead it will take the money out of a contingency fund which currently tops £1 million.

Despite the losses council bosses have vowed to hold the air show again next year but have promised not to make the same mistakes again.