Town council's blunder will cost tax payers
Source: Hunts Post
November 08

TAXPAYERS in St Neots have been left to pick up a £2,000 bill for the town's Riverside Festival after the event's supposed sponsor "disappeared".

It was revealed at the meeting of St Neots Town Council last Wednesday (November 5) that the council is chasing a debt of £1,990 while the total lose from the festival was £2,500.

The money had been promised to the council in a verbal agreement between the town centre manager, Tom McCormick, and an unnamed man.

Councillors were told last week that the man had approached Mr McCormick offering to help cover some of the costs of the first St Neots Riverside Festival, which took place in August.

The festival itself was a replacement to the town's carnival which was disbanded due to lack of support and funding. Organisers had been pleased with the success of the festival considering they had only a few months to organise it.

However, it seems the festival's success has been blighted by an unexpected debt.

Mr McCormick, who organised the festival, said that he had a "verbal contract" with a man who had offered to pay for the toilets, marshals, classic cars and some rides.

However, after numerous e-mails, phone calls and text messages the man has not contacted the town council or paid them a penny.

Mr McCormick said: "Lessons will be learnt from this. In a sense this is not all bad as we will learn from this.

"The support other participants gave us was incredible. The amount of people who flocked to the event shows that although we did not have much time to organise it there is a lot of support from the people of the town for such an event."

This week Mr McCormick told The Hunts Post that the proposal was discussed with the man at a meeting with witnesses and since then he has been following up the debt with formal correspondence.

Mr McCormick said: "Unfortunately, a donor has let us down and as it stands we are going to lose more than expected.

"It is very disappointing. This is a first time and we have learnt lots of practical lessons. We have the essence of an event and the goodwill of the community to stage something more permanent for the future. Nothing is lost at the end of the day."

Cllr Paul Ursell told councillors at the meeting: "The money has been spent - it is gone. Now we need to decide [which budget] going to be taken from."

Cllr Derek Giles said: "This event was sprung on us and we did not budget for it. We are now left in the red and I do not think we can afford not to follow up this debt."

The council decided to investigate whether the money could be taken from the town centre manager's budget, but has since ruled this out and will explore raiding other budgets.

The council agreed to also pursue the debt, but without spending any more money.