Salt Hill playing fields are ‘basically out of money’ a top official has said – as the local authority faces a challenge to fund some of its parks.
The playing fields are run by a charitable trust owned by Slough Borough Council. But the cost of maintaining them far outweighs how much money the trust earns in income.
As a result, the trust is on course to spend £49,150 more than it earns this year – and its savings will become overdrawn by £38,019.
Slough Borough Council strategic financial manager John Hickson said: “Salt Hill has basically run out of money, and it actually goes into negative reserves.
READ MORE: Stabmonk Park trust could be wound down by Slough council
“That is a significant issue and we’re going to have to work very hard to turn that one around.”
Slough Borough Council has been told by government-appointed commissioners it needs to scale back its subsidies to the trusts which run some of its parks. These include Langley War Memorial Field and Bayliss War Memorial Garden as well as Salt Hill playing fields.
The council has essentially been subsidising the trusts by not charging them the full costs of their maintenance. But council officers say it must now look into how the trusts can cover the costs themselves.
That means Salt Hill Playing Fields Trusts’ costs are set to rise from £22,757 in the previous financial year to £65,768 in the current year ending March 2025 - including £56,000 of maintenance costs.
Slough council’s trustee committee – the group of councillors tasked with managing its trusts – were given an update on finances at a meeting on Wednesday, July 31.
The committee challenged officers on why Salt Hill wasn’t earning more from leasing out buildings on the grounds to the Kashmiri restaurant, Slough Refugee Support, and the visiting funfair.
Councillor Dilbagh Parmar asked why the restaurant is only paying £8,700 a year for the lease on its premises. Mr Hickson said that this had been agreed on a long-term lease several years ago and that the council could try to negotiate a higher rent when the contract is reviewed in April next year.
He also said the Slough Refugee Centre’s lease had already run out and the council was ‘looking into’ the rent.
Council officers also suggested the authority could close some of its other trusts which include the Chalvey Millenium Trust that currently manages Stabmonk Park. The council took over this trust from residents in 2020 after volunteers said they could no longer run it themselves. But since then the park has been allowed to become overgrown and the trust has generated no income.
Mr Hickson stressed that the council was only ‘investigating’ whether it could close the trust and the committee would be asked to make a decision at a meeting in October.
The Observer understands that the council will still be responsible for the park if the trust closes.
The council is also set to receive £100,000 towards the maintenance of Stabmonk Park as part of a planning permission agreement with Bellway Homes for a housing protect at the former Montem Leisure Centre site.
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