Home   News   Article

Councillor hits back at club chairman


By Staff Reporter

Easier access to your trusted, local news. Subscribe to a digital package and support local news publishing.



Click here to sign up to our free newsletters!

A MORAY councillor has hit back at claims she tried to block funding for a local sports club.

Forres councillor Claire Feaver (Conservative) responded to a front page story in the Gazette in which she felt Forres Mechanics chairman James 'Doc' Anderson personally attacked her for not supporting the club's bid for funds from the Forres Common Good.

She said: "I very much regret Mr Anderson’s decision to publicly impugn my motives and misrepresent my arguments and I sincerely hope that this does not discourage elected representatives from making the right decisions in the future, for fear of being attacked in this way.

"I would like to take this opportunity to explain the context of why I, and eight other Moray councillors - including Independents, Conservatives and SNP - came to the very difficult decision not to support the application."

Cllr Feaver pointed out that the paper presented by Moray Council to councillors made the points: Forres Mechanics has recently been in receipt of a grant of £22,000 from the Berry Burn fund; the open market rent for Mosset Park is £35,000 per year; the Club is charged just £4500 per year by the council, effectively a contribution of £31,500 every year from the public purse; On June 6, 2018 the council agreed to award £3000 to Forres Mechanics for assistance towards the cost of its annual lease.

She said: "We were also aware that the club had, in recent years, been in receipt of far more money from the Forres Common Good than any other beneficiary. So, the question arose, do we agree to grant another £3,000 to this same organisation, or should we make it available to other worthy causes?

"I have a fiduciary responsibility for the proper management of public funds and this sometimes means having to say no."

Forres Mechanics' chairman Dr James Anderson defends the decision to grant the Highland League club £3,000 from the town's common good fund for use on the Mosset Park drainage system... Picture: Daniel Forsyth. Image No.043511.
Forres Mechanics' chairman Dr James Anderson defends the decision to grant the Highland League club £3,000 from the town's common good fund for use on the Mosset Park drainage system... Picture: Daniel Forsyth. Image No.043511.

Meanwhile, Mr Anderson found cllr Feaver's reaction "amazing", pointing out that it is not the first time she has opposed application from the Cans for financial assistance.

He said: "The Berry Burn funding was announced publicly at the time and we are very grateful but why should this be of concern to Claire Feaver? Has she queried any other awards made by Berry Burn?

"Regarding the 'open market rent' for Mosset Park; this sum was mentioned by a Moray Council executive at the time that Redco Milne were seeking to build a retail outlet at Bogton Road. Why raise that red herring?

"Moray Council at that time raised the rent to the current level. The club applied for a rent rebate and has received £3000 per annum for the past four years so we have made a net contribution of £6000 to the Common Good Fund in that time. To the best of my knowledge, we have received no other money from that source."

Mr Anderson highlighted that, as tenants of Moray Council, the club has a right to apply for assistance in the care and maintenance of the property.

He added: "The reality is that we do not receive any financial assistance from Moray Council but we are grateful for the rent rebate.

"The councillor makes the assertion that Forres Mechanics Football Club are effectively receiving £31,500-per-year from the public purse. This is not a personal attack if I observe that, in my opinion, that claim is nonsensical, illogical, misleading and potentially inflammatory."



Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.



This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies - Learn More