What the Chairman of the Swimming Pool Trust says:

"Although the Swimming Pool Trust Deed states that half the proceeds of any sale goes to HDC, the trust, having taken advise, believe that that particular clause is unlawful and therefore unenforceable because all assets are held as a permanent endowment of the trust. However because the trust deed contains the clause the trust as advised by the Charity Commission are obliged to note the fact in the report and accounts." -  Paul Ursell

Cllr Ursell is not only Chairman of the Swimming Pool Trust, but is also a St Neots Town Councillor and a Huntingdonshire District Councillor as a Conservative.

As a District Councillor I asked him these questions:

What the Conservative run District Council thinks? 

Will HDC oppose the sale of the land until they get their half? 

Just because the Trust has obtained its legal opinion I assume the District Council has done the same. Is HDC's legal opinion different?

I await an answer!

I feel there should be a definitive statement from HDC over its intentions on claiming half the money. Either from one of our Conservative District Councillors or from a member of the cabinet or from the legal team at HDC. 

I have therefore emailed both David Monks, CEO of HDC and Cllr Ian Bates, Executive Leader of HDC asking them what the District Councils position is on taking half the proceeds.

I await an answer!

In the end this is two councils serving the same area fighting over half the proceeds of roughly £1.75 million. It will look very, very silly if all this ends up in court. And why so secret? I feel this should be aired in the public domain rather than hidden away in committee rooms or secret reports. This is essentially between a Town Council run Charity and HDC. The only winners will be the lawyers. The losers will be the St Neots public.