South Wales Evening Post - 15 November 2005
Swansea Council's ruling administration is facing fresh demands to come clean about the deal to sell off the Pool Sanctuary. Labour councillors want the ruling coalition to reveal why it has agreed to a £25,000 sweetener in an effort to find someone to take on the lease for The Kingsway site.
The Post revealed last week that the authority has agreed a six-month rent-free period for the company taking on the £50,000-a-year location.
The company will put down £12,500, three months rent, before any deal is signed.
The council claims the deal will allow Dutchy's Entertainment, the company which plans to reopen the former pool hall as a nightclub, to completely refurbish the property.
Labour leader David Phillips said: "We know that at least one cabinet member abstained from voting, so there must have been some concerns at the time.
"The cabinet members behind the document now need to make their position clear."
Swansea Council has been keen to re-let the property since abandoning plans to use it as an Activa gym.
The pool hall was leased by the former Labour-controlled council in May 2004, but was dropped two months later by the new Lib Dem-led coalition who labelled it unsuitable.
A spokesperson for Swansea's ruling Lib Dem-led administration group said: "All the normal securities and guarantees will be written into any contract regarding the sub-leasing of the Pool Sanctuary building in order to protect the local council taxpayers' interests.
"The council's property advisers marketed the Pool Sanctuary lease widely and, based on this top quality commercial advice, the council has now entered into discussions to draw up contracts with a company who wish to use the building as a nightclub."
