Bell doesn’t toll for us

There was a time when the word “report” meant a provision of information and that to “answer a question” meant … exactly that.
But now – appropriately given that the context is a sporting one - the goalposts have been moved as far as these definitions are concerned.
At tonight’s meeting of Boston Borough Council’s Performance Review Committee
One agenda item is entitled “Boston Sports Initiative/Princess Royal Sports Arena Report by the Chairman and Vice-Chairman,” and another “Answers to Members' questions by the BSI's Managing Director.”
In theory, the public can access both of these reports online via the council’s website.
But in practice the first item – the Chairman and Vice Chairman’s report – “will follow.”
We don’t know what it is following on, but it’s been arriving for some days now, so it’s probably on foot, and as of 11-30am today had still to arrive – so it looks as though the public interest is again being done a disservice.
Meanwhile, the “answers” by Managing Director Dennis Bell mostly strive to appear helpful whilst doing precisely the opposite.
In "answer" to the question: “How much money was in the "sinking fund" prior to it being used elsewhere?” Mr Bell says: “Records prior to 2006 are archived, if some idea of the time could be identified it may be possible to find the answer.”
Well, then:”Since the opening of the arena, how much has been spent on repairs and maintenance?” Reply: “I have asked Bladerunner to calculate this and forward to you separately.”
Moving on: “The receipt of the Sport England grant of £790k is referred to as ‘thereby reducing BBC's loan to £1.3m.’ Was this truly the case? If not, why not?”
Answer: “I have been unable to find any documentary evidence relating to this statement, again I assume it is prior to 2006 and archived?”
As only six questions were posed, it would have been courteous if Mr Bell could have made a little more effort to be helpful.
What we do learn is that his “understanding” is that Boston Borough Council has written off its £1.9m loan to BSI; and that whilst each of the resident clubs was due to raise £50k towards the capital costs, his “understanding” is that the rugby club paid £20,000 for catering equipment and that was all that has been received; and that between October 2006 and the financial year 2009-10 of the revenue costs provided by Boston Borough Council, £1,811,482 was spent on direct operating costs and £422,659 on paying off loan interest.
When he does actually answer a question, we can appreciate why Mr Bell - clearly a man of great understanding - prefers obfuscation to co-operation.
THE BSI and the PRSA are linked problems that hopefully won’t go away until the truth is out, and we find this latest pantomime unfunny, to say the least.

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