7:00am Wednesday 7th February 2007
By Anthony Osborne
RESIDENTS in Cricklade face a nail-biting few days to find out if their leisure centre will remain open or close forever.
Last night, at a packed meeting at the town hall, they voted for a £6 increase in their council tax as part of a plan to keep the town's leisure centre open for business.
The increase - equivalent to 12p per week - will double the council tax precept they pay to Cricklade Town Council in the next financial year.
The aim is to provide £20,000, which the town council had already pledged to campaigners from KLIC - Keep Leisure in Cricklade, which has submitted a business plan to save the leisure centre.
The agreed increase will raise £10,000 on its own, while the other £10,000 will come from the council's reserves.
But the £20,000 will merely end up in the council's account if KLIC cannot get £70,000 of funding from North Wiltshire District Council.
The town council have to supply details of the precept increase in the next few days, and the campaigners are still not sure they will get a decision on the £70,000 before precept decision goes to the district council.
The hall was silent as those who attended the meeting faced the stark reality of the decision, but as hands went up it was clear just how much support the leisure centre had.
Gary Walker, the leading light behind the project told, those assembled that it would be a brave council to say no outright to their plans, adding: "And I don't think they're that brave."
Speaking at the end of the meeting, Mr Walker, said: "It is now a waiting game, but we are confident, we have a strong business plan with a lot of contingencies built into it, and there is clearly a lot of support out there.
"There must have been good 10 per cent of the town who packed into the hall last night, they are clearly totally behind us.
"The council also offered residents the option of raising the full £20,000 by accepting a higher precept without having to raise the council's reserves. This would have meant the town council precept rising to £18,18 for the next year, the equivalent of 35p per week, but this was unpopular because of the effect on those on those folk on fixed incomes."
A third option was also suggested which could have raised £30,000, but was not voted upon.
Coun Clive Wilce, chairman of the town council, said he was delighted with the support and turnout shown by the town's residents.
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