Figures reveal £87,000 loss for Porth Eirias
Published date: 06 August 2014 |
Published by: Mike Williams Read more articles by Mike Williams Email reporter
COLWYN Bay’s Porth Eirias made £16,000 in its first year and cost £104,000 to run during the same period.
A Freedom of Information request revealed the watersports centre had a net expenditure of £87,808 over the last financial year.
The building, which cost £3.6 million to build and opened in September last year, only managed to bring in £13,214, with a £3,343 “contribution” from the council’s own tourism and leisure department.
Clwyd West MP David Jones said: "Here we have a building that was completed at the cost of several million pounds over a year ago and has stood virtually empty since.
"At the moment Conwy taxpayers might be excused for thinking Porth Eirias is just a cash-guzzling white elephant.”
A council spokesperson said she had nothing to add to the figures when invited to comment.
The centre made more in confectionery sales (£3,944) and buffet and catering income (£2,666) than it did in rent (£1,500) from its sole tenant, Colwyn Bay Watersports.
It also made £4,262 in room hire and £407 in equipment hire.
Colwyn Bay Watersports, a Community Interest Company, currently has four staff members, and has received funding from the Coastal Communities Fund.
The structure was named as one of the worst new buildings in the UK by the Building Design magazine.
It was nominated for the Carbuncle Cup as “truly awful”, “widely disliked” and “oppressively bland”.
The waterfront project, which includes Porth Eirias, work to upgrade the promenade and link to the town centre, has been funded by £11.34 million in grant aid.
A Freedom of Information request revealed the watersports centre had a net expenditure of £87,808 over the last financial year.
The building, which cost £3.6 million to build and opened in September last year, only managed to bring in £13,214, with a £3,343 “contribution” from the council’s own tourism and leisure department.
Clwyd West MP David Jones said: "Here we have a building that was completed at the cost of several million pounds over a year ago and has stood virtually empty since.
"At the moment Conwy taxpayers might be excused for thinking Porth Eirias is just a cash-guzzling white elephant.”
A council spokesperson said she had nothing to add to the figures when invited to comment.
The centre made more in confectionery sales (£3,944) and buffet and catering income (£2,666) than it did in rent (£1,500) from its sole tenant, Colwyn Bay Watersports.
It also made £4,262 in room hire and £407 in equipment hire.
Colwyn Bay Watersports, a Community Interest Company, currently has four staff members, and has received funding from the Coastal Communities Fund.
The structure was named as one of the worst new buildings in the UK by the Building Design magazine.
It was nominated for the Carbuncle Cup as “truly awful”, “widely disliked” and “oppressively bland”.
The waterfront project, which includes Porth Eirias, work to upgrade the promenade and link to the town centre, has been funded by £11.34 million in grant aid.
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