It is totally undemocratic for Brighton & Hove City Council to go ahead and ask developers to submit plans for a new King Alfred Leisure Centre without consulting the city taxpayers.
It is quite clear from the comments in The Argus that neither councillors Bowden nor Cox know what sports facilities the present Leisure Centre provides.
Councillor Bowden stated on the radio that Councillor Cox supported a bowling facility with three rinks which indicated that he had previously never visited the King Alfred. Perhaps councillors Bowden and Cox can state how many times they have visited the King Alfred over the last five years? Also if they visited the centre why did they not do anything about the leaking roof over the bowling rinks?
How could Councillor Bowden and the council’s Economic Development and Culture Committee provide developers with a minimum requirement for a leisure centre when they clearly had no idea of the facilities provided by the present centre.
The council should have consulted the public first. The deadline for the developers to submit their proposals for a new leisure centre was Monday November 17.
The council should now put all the proposals on public display so that the city taxpayers can decide if any of the proposals meet with their requirements.
It is no use Councillor Bowden whinging that the council does not have the money for a new leisure centre.
The present centre is sound and just needs renovating completely.
Councillor Bowden found £39million to give to the i360 project without consulting the city taxpayers and if the cost of the i360 rises above the £39million the council will then be in a dilemma whether to give more or lose the £39million.
Had the council spent this sum on the King Alfred they would have seen immediate returns on the investment and it would have been to the benefit of city residents. How many residents will use the i360 on a regular basis?
Perhaps Councillor Bowden can inform the public through The Argus, how much the council has spent on the King Alfred Leisure Centre over the last five years or do we have to submit a Freedom of Information Act request?
B Bayliss,
Mornington Crescent,
Hove
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