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Public still shelling out for £32m sporting venue
TAXPAYERS are forking out thousands on insurance, cleaning and service charges for Doncaster’s Keepmoat Stadium.
Doncaster Council admitted it was paying the costs on the £32 million venue - despite concerns from councillors that the cash should pay for services facing the axe because of recent Government cuts.
The news has prompted more calls to sell off the Keepmoat.
It has been revealed the council is stumping up insurance costs of around £75,000 a year for the venue.
In addition, the authority admitted it has stopped service charges, paid by other organisations at Doncaster Lakeside, and cut cleaning and refuse costs - even though the Keepmoat now also hosts a major car boot sale.
It has slashed the rates the venue pays, even though it is home to Doncaster Rovers Football Club.
The council also confirmed it wrote off debts from the former Doncaster rugby league club after it went into administration.
And it paid £75,000 maintenance bills at the site in a one-off payment two years ago.
Coun Paul Coddington, leader of the Liberal Democrat group in Doncaster, has again insisted taxpayers should not have to bankroll the stadium.
He said: “I’m a Doncaster Rovers fan and want nothing more than to see them doing well and playing in a good stadium. But I don’t see the stadium as a community facility in the same way as places like The Dome.
“It appears to be the council running a facility for a business - Doncaster Rovers. Any other business would not expect that sort of level of support.
“Now we face major cuts, we should put the money the stadium costs us into frontline services. It is time to sell and stop losing money.”
Doncaster Council pays the insurance because it is the stadium site freeholder.
It ended service charges after Keepmoat bosses argued no other leisure facility paid one. After a council investigation it was agreed the charge should never have been levied.
The authority said the rates for the stadium were cut as the original rateable value had been set as if the Stadium Management Company which runs it was the football club.
Simon Wiles, the council’s director of finance, said: “We recognise concerns about how much the stadium costs the council and are looking at options for its future.”
Rovers chairman John Ryan said it was not good for ratepayers if the stadium was losing money.
Last month the Free Press revealed the council was in talks with Doncaster Rovers about selling the Keepmoat.
Stadium Management Company is asking for voluntary redundancies.
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Comments
There are 3 comments to this article
Page 1 of 1
psimons
Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 09:18 AMConsistency is the best thing any council or business could ever have. No wonder the council is failing. If I quote from the national press ... Doncaster Council is 'failing and dysfunctional'. - That is the embarrassment! Doncaster needs to be proud of everything it has and every part of the council, the Chief Executive, the Senior Management, the Councillors and even the people of the shop floor of the council need to be positive and working to one long term strategy. Does a 10 year plan exit in the council or is it Mayor term by mayor term? From what I know the stadium offers many services. The Rovers football is just one part, what about the athletics and the football pitches, gym, car boot sale, concerts etc these are all council provided services for the community. I remember this being sold as a community stadium! Not the agenda for a couple of sporting clubs. If it was for the clubs then why did the council even build it? It was branded as a community stadium. Were we in the public miss-sold on the whole concept? Looking on the Council minutes i have just found through Google it clearly shows in minutes from 2003 that there were a list of community services it offers (http:www.doncaster.gov.ukdbchamberdefault.asp?Nav=Report&ReportID=5019). So why are you proposing selling this asset off? Maybe the council did not deliver it's promise to us, the public! In places like Leeds they have council support Party in the Park concerts .. in Doncaster the council moan about the concerts! I just don't get it. This is why Doncaster will never be a Leeds, or a London with inspiration. If the stadium runs at a loss then the council will be able to sell the stadium off at a lower value that what it is worth. Commercially I would expect that a lower value would be attained! Lets assume a building costs £32million, business fails, the new buyer will want to buy it for less. So let's assume Rovers buy for £20million, the council have lost £12m ... where is that in the interests of the council? Personally I would get the council behind the stadium, promote it, and make the clubs like Rovers and the Dons etc pay their way. Who builds a stadium and then lets people rent it for less than it costs? Surely the council is to blame??? You as a Councillor should lead the way and set an example ! You do not exactly sell Doncaster to the country with these comments! Maybe you can answer ... would you be prepared to sell the stadium at less than it cost, even if that cost was millions ? This is almost turning in to a Bloodtsock situation? To quote the minutes of a review meeting the council built the Bloodstock and "Charging the DBS a peppercorn rental which represents less than best value for the site" is this not the same situation with the stadium? How much profit has the council got out of the racecourse where it has an invested interest? The list goes on!
Cllr Paul
Sunday, October 16, 2011 at 01:21 AMPSimons seems to have missed the point entirely. Selling the stadium means that the Council can ditch its financial commitment to the Stadium. The Dome and similar facilities are largely for the community and are not businesses. The stadium is used mainly by Doncaster Rovers, which is a business, and there is very little use by the community.Selling off the Stadium is hardly a negative point when it is a question of funding frontline services. However, I do agree with the point about Mayors being inconsistent. Take the Bawtry Road bus lane for example. One Mayor went to London and got the money to build the bus lane against councillor's and community wishes. The current Mayor now wants to get rid of them! Waste of £millions. Anyone who thinks Doncaster Councillors are an embarrassment don't know what councillors do. It is easy to criticise when ignorant of the facts.
psimons
Saturday, October 15, 2011 at 09:39 PMDo you know what the problem with the Councillors of Doncaster is? They are so negative ... after their own agenda! Why can they not support and be pro-active on these issues and look at the wider issue? Any other town or city and Councillors get behind projects. Why can't the council realise their obligations and support these venues and assets. No one complains about how much The Dome costs taxpayers ? Whilst I agree that the stadium should not be funded by council money, why don't they put pressure on the Rovers and Rugby to pay their way? The council's agenda changes every time the mayor changes. One mayor is let's build a stadium, the next mayor is let's get shot. Their is no consistency and this is why I believe the council fail us. In business the best thing to have is consistency .. this just does not exist in Doncaster Council. I bet next mayor is to sell of the cultural quarter? It's the negativity that makes me personally want to leave Doncaster. It is this sort of attitude that makes Doncaster have the poor reputation it has to the outside world. My advice ... why do we pay and have Councillors that are NEGATIVE! Let's be different and support every asset of Doncaster! If Rovers do not pay their way ... then make them. The council should have the upper hand ... where else can they play football? All this negativity creates an opportunity for Rovers to buy the stadium at a lower value. Where does this help the council? Doncaster Councillors are an embarrassment and do not add value to our town. Phew rant over!
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