Tourism chiefs at Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council have agreed to bail out the owners of the town’s Sabrina pleasure boat for the next two years if they incur significant losses.The council admitted this week that it could end up paying out up to £17,500 to cover losses incurred by the firm following a bad summer which badly damaged takings.
But, in a reply to a question by Shrewsbury resident Robert Bullard, David Griffiths, manager of Destination Shrewsbury, said the council was committed to supporting the venture under a three-year contract it has with the Chester Boat Company - which runs the Sabrina, and Morris Property.
He said they had agreed to surrender cash if necessary to ensure the business succeeded during its first few years.
Mr Griffiths said: “It is anticipated that as the business becomes established any such losses will diminish, then disappear, and by the end of the three-year period the business would be profitable and continue to operate independently of any financial support by Shrewsbury and Atcham Borough Council.”
A grant of £7,500 has already been given to relocate the boat to Shrewsbury.
Mr Bullard who is a member of the River Severn Users’ Group, formed last week to fight council proposals for the introduction of more motor boats on the River Severn, said he believed the underwriting of losses for a private firm was unacceptable.
5 Comments
The council had better not raise the council tax this year if this is how they plan to waste it, I don’t know about the Chester Boat Co, but Morris
have more than enough money to look after themselves.
Does this revelation mean the recently published SABC river consultation report is now to be viewed as a bussiness plan for Sabrina?
will SABC help any other business affected by the weather like the ice cream vendors who never sold as much because of the sun less Summer?
What on earth!
Not one penny of local council tax payer’s money should be spent propping up this commercial venture unless the Council has an appropriate contract to protect it’s citizens from any loss.
I trust that the Council will receive the appropriate cream off of any profits after the three year period.
Cant afford to run a boat,well dont buy one then,