Gurgling in the pool of despair

I sent an email to both Ian Bates (Leader of HDC) and David Monks (Chief Executive - £139,000 pay off) emails asking what the position is of HDC over taking half the money from the St Neots Swimming Pool Trust. 

Dear Sir,

In the recently published accounts of the St Neots Swimming Pool Trust no 270074 there is a statement that says Huntingdonshire District Council is entitled to half the money from a proceeds from the sale of the land owned in Huntingdon Street, St Neots. I would like to know the District Councils position on whether it intends to enforce this agreement and take half the proceeds?

I received this reply:

Dear Mr Gadenne,

I refer to your email below and understand that you sent a similar query to Mr Bates, the Leader of the Council. They have asked me to send a response on behalf of the Council.

There are no redevelopment proposals for the site currently before the Council and in such circumstances it is not possible to provide a definitive answer to what is, at the present time, a hypothetical  question. It would not be appropriate for the Council to purport to bind or pre-empt a decision of the Council in the future. If and when a request is received by the Council regarding the Agreement, it will be considered on its merits and the Council’s course of action will depend on the circumstances prevailing at the time.

I trust you understand why it is not possible to be more definitive at this time.

Yours sincerely,

Colin Meadowcroft

Monitoring Officer and

Head of Law Property and Governance

Huntingdonshire District Council

01480 388021

Reading the "Council speak" this seems to me HDC feels it is entitled to half the proceeds of the sale. I was actually asking what the position on whether it intends to take half the proceeds. This is the standard line for trying to put an issue down. I received a reply which effectively means the situation isn't resolved. HDC may or may not try to enforce this agreement.

Of course the Council does have a position on this. It is just blacked out.

Whilst not resolving this it does seem to leave a large question mark over the amount of money the Swimming Pool Trust may receive after HDC takes half.