Dear ‘Save The Sobell Centre Sports Hall’ Supporters, More than 800 of us have now signed this petition! The Islington Gazette and Islington Tribune are publishing articles on virtually a weekly basis. In response to our questions at the Islington Council meeting on Thursday 29 June, Councillor Burgess said on several occasions there was no reference in the Customer Representative meetings of GLL promising to consult Sobell customers prior to this trampoline park being implemented. Barry Hill has however now provided her with evidence that GLL did indeed promise to consult customers, both verbally and in writing! Councillor Burgess also said on several occasions that in the Council’s opinion there was no statutory requirement to consult Sobell customers prior to this decision being made. Our own legal advice however is that the Council did have a legal duty to consult on the basis of the following: 1. Statutory Duty – With the removal of the 5 a side footballers from the Sobell, the Council has failed to meet its ‘Public Sector Equality Duty’ under Section 149 of the Equality Act 2010, due to discrimination in terms of age. 2. “Legitimate expectation of consultation” – A common law duty to consult has arisen as there was a “legitimate expectation of consultation” on the grounds of GLL’s prior promise to consult (which they failed to do) and there has also been an established practice of consultation, (for example the Barnard Park footballers have been party to a consultation process over the past 12 years). There is ample recent case law in respect of both grounds. The Local Government Act 1992, Sch 1A para 3 and the 'Cabinet Office Principles’ should have been followed. A consultation process should have been implemented by Islington Council prior to the decision being made. Unless the Council sees sense, a judicial review may be necessary! Finally, through Celia Clarke’s Freedom of Information request, contrary to what we were led to believe, we have just found out that Islington Council is actually lending GLL the circa £2.0 million required to build this trampoline park! This is supposed to be repaid during the remaining circa 12 years of GLL’s management contract, but serious questions need to be asked in respect of the projected return to the Council and certainty of earlier repayment from GLL if this recreational attraction fails. I shall post all your comments on this ill thought-out trampoline park here tomorrow. If you wish to contact me, my e mail is – johnbarberlpa@gmail.com . Thank you for your support.