One month today ERYC Councillors will approve this years Council Tax increase, 20% of which will be to finance the failure of Bridlington Golf Club.

ERYC Director Alan Menzies

It has been widely reported that the sale by ERYC of Bridlington Golf Course to the club itself will result in a £900,000 profit for BGC. The reports state that ERYC have agreed to sell the course at a knock down £750,000 after which BGC will sell one small part for £1,650,000. A tidy profit of £900,000.

The deal has been struck “to address the long term financial difficulties that the club was experiencing”.

Neither ERYC nor the Council Tax payers should ever bail out a golf club that is unable to manage their financial affairs. Where does it stop? If a Golf Club why not every other East Riding business?

Last Friday Alan Menzies, ERYC Director of Planning and Economic Regeneration, failed to confirm details of the deal:

“The current position is that the Council has exchanged a contract to sell the site however it will not complete until the Hotel element has been built and commissioned  Therefore the details of the contract are still commercially sensitive.”

Council Tax Finances BGC

A 2.99% increase in Council Tax equates to £4.5 million. The £900,000 used to bail out BGC is 20% of this.

This means the Council Tax increase should be a maximum 2.39% instead of 2.99%.

Strangeway Will Vote NO

Surely the 67 ERYC Councillors will vote against the increase? Sadly I am no doubt that the Council Tax increase is already a done deal.

Councillor Strangeway will vote against the Council Tax increase unless Alan Menzies proves his calculations wrong.