THE Wellington Squash and Racketball Club is to receive a grant of £1,500 towards the cost of repairing its clubhouse roof.

The club had asked Wellington Town Council for a grant of £2,000 but councillors felt this was too much considering the overall bill for the repairs was £2,700.

Members of the council’s finance committee heard earlier this month that the roof of the club in Corams Lane was leaking and required repairing to protect the internal fabric of the courts and facilities.

Town council clerk Greg Dyke said: “It is anticipated that these repairs will extend the life of the roof for another ten years.”

But Cllr John Thorne said: “I don’t mind supporting the club but I have reservations about the amount it wants.

“The request for £2,000 would represent 74 per cent of the overall cost and I don’t mind helping organisations as long as they are helping themselves.”

Cllr Thorne suggested awarding the club a lower amount, while Cllr Marcus Barr said he was disappointed that it looked as if only one quote had been obtained for the work.

“We have an abundance of roofers in Wellington,” said Cllr Barr. “It’s public money and it’s our duty to protect that money.”

Mr Dyke said: “We have details of one quote but we don’t know if the club received more quotes and has only told us about the one it has gone with.”

Cllr Thorne had suggested about reducing the grant request by 50 per cent to £1,000 but this was felt too hefty a drop.

Cllr Mark Lithgow said: “The club wouldn’t have enough money to do the job properly. I don’t disagree with the reducing the amount, but I think to reduce it by half is quite a big chop.”

Councillors agreed to award the club a grant of £1,500 subject to confirmation about the club receiving three quotes for the work.

The decision to award a £1,500 grant to the club, subject to quotes, was later rubber stamped by the full town council.

Cllr Ross Henley said: “It’s a sensible way to go with this.”