Open letter from Cllr Mike Cox to Cllr Ray Puddifoot, the Leader of Hillingdon Council, re Hillingdon School of Gymnastics

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Thu 10th Apr 2008

Dear Ray

I was very disappointed to read your recent comments about Mike and Tania Swallow.

Before you became Leader of this Council I know you were deeply committed to helping voluntary organisation in Hillingdon and especially trying to ensure Sport Clubs in Hillingdon had a better deal.

Your comment about Mike Swallow namely that "If he cared for the people using the gym, he would have kept to the deal made with the council" does not sit well with your earlier ideals and is directly contrary to the Council's own aims of "developing and promoting effective partnership working with voluntary and community sector youth service providers."

Mike Swallow with his wife Tania have dedicated 33 years of their life to promoting Gymnastics in Hillingdon and creating a centre of excellence which should make us all very proud.

You claim that you are trying to protect the tax payer by taking the School to court for 10 years of backdated rates amounting to £100,000 and by demanding £200,000 of backdated rent from a lease which has a peppercorn rent clause. Your officers know damn well that these monies will never be collected. The only purpose is to take back the lease and get the school out of the Swallows centre. On the other hand are you suggesting that you are in breach of your responsibilities as Leader of the Council to have allowed a debt of over £300K to build up without court action being taken before now?

Are you willing to confirm to me in writing what the Council's intention is for this site in the future? What is the real reason behind your Councils aggressive attempt to get the Hillingdon School of Gymnastics to vacate the Swallows centre which has served the community so well over the last 20 years?

The Council has not come up with any solutions as to where the schools future should be if the centre were to close. This was the why Mike and Tania took the decision not to return the lease. A decision they took after receiving independent legal advice. They are totally committed to trying to preserve the fantastic work that is currently performed at the centre.

I would ask that you stop insulting them, stop making suggestions that this is somehow protecting the tax payer and sit down around the table to ensure Hillingdon remains a beacon for gymnastics now and into the future.

This issue is fundamental to the boroughs young people, our athletes and our hopes for success in 2012 which is why I am making this letter available to the press.

Yours sincerely,

Mike Cox

Councillor, Ruislip Manor Ward