Taking a Liberty?

After a brief absence, Rantin’ Ray Welsby is back on familiar ground, i.e. the Evening Post website, where he demands that Swansea Council come clean about yet another alleged scandal at Liberty Stadium. His latest claim is that the local authority has not received any rent for use of the £33 million facility since it was built at public expense in 2005. He adds that the council-owned hospitality box has only raised £2000 from hirings during the same period.

Swansea Stadium Management Company, formerly StadCo, and which has a 50 year lease to run the stadium is made up of the Swans, Ospreys and Swansea Council on an equal thirds basis. However, it is believed that the company has persistently failed to file accounts and that a number of stadium staff are actually council employees on ‘secondment’.

Welsby’s comments could be linked to reported legal disputes between the council and the management company over structural & public safety issues which have sparked rumours that a substantial sum of money is still owed to the stadium’s maintenance fund. There is also a threatened legal action by Landore councillor Rob Speht over promised travel plans that have never materialised despite promises by stadium bosses.

The former Clase councillor has issued a challenge to the council leadership to make a statement one way or another and it will be interesting to see if he actually gets a response – or if his claims are reported in the local press.

Should the allegations be substantiated, and the indications are that he is fairly accurate, then it will raise further serious questions about political & corporate capabilities at Swansea Council. More importantly, it will put a spotlight on an indefensible situation - which supposedly has cross-party approval - whereby school closures are regarded as a preferable option for saving public money than forcing privately-owned sporting clubs to pay their bills.
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(JX)