THE LEADER of Bracknell Forest Council has confirmed that funds at the council are ‘tight’.

Councillor Paul Bettison spoke to The News to confirm that cash is low, but also praised the impact of the leisure management company.

He said: “Funds are very tight, though it will be helped by the new leisure management company.

“They have been more efficient and are a more professional and large organisation, and that is why it is so beneficial to the council to have them running the facilities.”

Everyone Active has taken over the day-to-day running of Coral Reef, Bracknell Leisure Centre, and Downshire Golf Complex.

Cllr Bettison also confirmed that the council is still debating what to do regarding Easthampstead Park.

The building is listed, but the council is weighing up options for external companies to run the facility, as a way of reducing financial losses.

He said: “With Easthampstead Park, we are still in the stage of looking at options for it.

“It is losing money, and costing the council a lot of money in losses, and the council simply cannot afford to continue to run it.”

Late last year, councillor Bettison confirmed that the council had already drawn up its budget proposal for 2018, and this didn’t include a tax increase of 5.99 per cent. 

This came as the Government gave local councils the ability to increase income tax by 5.99 per cent for the coming year.

However, as the council had already put together its budget, it didn’t include this increase and so cannot benefit from the Government initiative.