As of last week the new government took back a not insignificant £2.9 million of grants that were given to Poole for this current financial year.
This clawback did not include the remaining £587,000 of the two year Playbuilder grant to improve play facilities for the eight to 13-year-olds, though this money was not ringfenced.
The year two schemes include all three of the facilities up for improvement in the ward I represent, Alderney. There has been much consultation on the Playbuilder proposals, including over 3,000 school children involved in commenting on and even planning improvements.
It therefore came as a surprise that at the council meeting of June 15, where an underspend of £3.4 million from the last financial year was being discussed, there was an outright refusal by the ruling Tories to give any re-assurance that the Playbuilder program, as set out over a two year period, would be completed.
I wonder whether this has anything to do with the fact that nine out of the 11 schemes in year two were in Liberal Democrat Wards, with most of the Conservative Ward based schemes already delivered in year one?
Cllr Tony Trent, Alderney, Poole
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