Why weren't pool rescue plans hinted at earlier?

It seems that we were mistaken when we raised an eyebrow at the news that the management of the Geoff Moulder Leisure Complex and the Princess Royal Sports Arena
has been transferred to what must arguably be one of the most criticised operators in this particular sphere.
As far as the borough's official line is concerned, "It’s all systems go for a bright new future for leisure services in Boston" - ending 18 months' work and negotiation by the council.
The borough's head of jolly good news, Councillor Richard Dungworth, portfolio holder for Regeneration, Planning, Sport and Cultural Services, said: “This is a good news story for the ratepayers of Boston." But then he thought that about the recent Audit Commission review of Boston's regeneration policies that gave the borough the good hiding it deserved.
We find it a bit odd that not so long ago, whilst the training pool at Geoff Moulder was under threat of closure, there were apparently cunning plans behind the scenes to save it - plans that had been under discussion for one and a half years.
Yet for some reason, we were left believing that the training pool was doomed ... so why weren't we told about the secret negotiations that were going on?
Probably just because the Boston Bypass Independents mafia adores doing as much as it can in secret - but why on earth this was the case with the pool, we cannot fathom.
One would think that if the council was on the brink of securing its future, it would have told us before all the protests began and the action committees were formed.
So we wonder whether things were actually what they seemed.
The other thing that confuses us is why, if the council had been in discussion for so long with the company Leisure Connection, it failed to take note of its lamentable track record in management.
With just one search on the internet, we found that Leisure Connection has for years been subject to criticism of the way it runs sport and leisure centres.
It lists 45 local government organisations with which it has contracts - several of them here in Lincolnshire - most of which rue the day that they signed on the dotted line.
The day before yesterday, we gave you a few examples of how the customers of Meres Leisure Centre in Grantham regarded the company and its services - and an undercover visit by the local newspaper that roundly condemned it.
We note that Leisure Connection is to meet with representatives of Boston Amateur Swimming Club.
We hope that when they do, the club fares better than the one in Grantham, which since 1923 has worked "in synergy" with the leisure centre. However, since Leisure Connection took over the running of the pool, the club, which receives no subsidies, has had to stump up increases of 25 per cent over three years with no room to negotiate on better pool times.
There is not only criticism from Grantham, but all the other South Kesteven owned leisure facilities.
There are other bad news stories from neighbouring South Holland, where Leisure Connection also runs services, and in West Lindsey.
We fail to understand how, after 18 months' negotiation with Leisure Connection, and the ready availability of its poor record with dozens of local councils all around the county, that Boston went ahead and issued the firm with a contract.
We now know that most of the members of the BBI who voted for the deal failed to attend the meetings where it was discussed.
In fact, as far as we can see, there is only one benefit - average annual savings to the council of a paltry £154,000.
That's after the pool has been refurbished at a cost of £2 million, and £3 million in debt held by the Boston Sports Initiative has been written off.
And on top of all that, the council remains responsible for the maintenance of the garden shed known as the Princess Royal Sports Arena.
We sincerely hope that there is still room for negotiation and that this lamentable decision can be reviewed, and preferably annulled.

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