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Dene Valley Dream Destroyed Over 7 years work and in excess of £200,000 Parish investment were wiped out in a meeting lasting less than 12 minutes. The people of Wellesbourne are reeling from the shock decision of Stratford District Council to withdraw their promised financial support to the long-awaited and much-needed Dene Valley Centre - because of the “current economic climate”. The people of Wellesbourne have worked long and hard developing this project at the behest of the District Council to ensure all risks have been addressed. They had just completed the tender process to appoint a commercial leisure contractor to run the centre when this news broke on Monday (6th October 2008). At an emergency meeting of the Parish Council project group on Tuesday (7th October 2008) the Project Chairman, Councillor Roger Wright said : “We are all extremely angry here in Wellesbourne. We have spent the last 2 years working with officers of the District Council to develop a scheme that meets both the needs of the community and the requirements laid down by the District Council. Having satisfied the District that we can provide this community and leisure facility for the available budget and provide a respected commercial operator to run it, they then decide to pull the plug on the whole project because of the “current economic climate”. Cllr Topham stated on Monday that the District Council needed to review capital projects because of these economic conditions. If that is so then ALL capital projects should be halted pending such a review. It is not right or fair to single out the Wellesbourne project. Either the District's accounts are in such a serious state that they have pulled the plug just to save money or they are yet again turning their backs on this community. We deserve to know the truth.” To register your opinions on the demise of Dene Valley, please e-mail info@stratford-dc.gov.uk or contact Elaine Hughes on 01789 841434. Elaine Hughes |