Published at 16:34, Monday, 03 September 2012

A ROW between a charitable trust and Cumbria County Council looks set to continue.

The argument broke out following the Evening Mail’s report on Friday that Ford Park Community Group was in a legal dispute with Cumbria County Council over plans to sell the Grade II listed Ford Park House.

The council rents part of the building and in a statement issued to the Evening Mail said that vulnerable children used the facility.

However, the council has since admitted it made a mistake and children do not use the building. Colin Pickthall, chairman of Ford Park trustees, said the council’s comments were “deliberate lies” and a “dangerous slur on the Trustees of Ford House, its staff and its members”.

Mr Pickthall described as “hurtful” claims that the community group’s actions were threatening services to vulnerable children.

He said: “The day services at Ford Park cater for adults only. This lie is clearly intended to damage Ford Park.”

A council spokesman confirmed the day centre serves “young adults” and said the previous statement’s error was regrettable but in no way malicious.

He said the issue is still that services for vulnerable people are at stake.

Mr Pickthall also objected to claims that the council’s attempts to negotiate terms of a new lease were “unable to raise a response”.

He said: “We have responded to every statement or move from the council, sometimes directly and sometimes through our lawyers. Our attempts to negotiate with the county council have most often been rebuffed.”

The council has begun legal proceedings challenging an attempt to raise the rent from £15,000 to £26,000 – a move trustees say is vital if they are to meet mounting running costs.

The council spokesman said: “The county council would welcome the opportunity to discuss all these issues face to face with the Ford Park trustees. The council is not unreasonable and feels that the issue could be resolved amicably through proper dialogue. We look forward to hearing from the trustees.”

He added that previous comments denying knowledge of the planned sale of the building, which was reported in the Evening Mail more than a year ago, were misinformed.

Mr Pickthall said: “Ford Park has had for years a very happy and positive relationship with the staff and the clients of the day Service at Ford Park. There is no way that we would seek to remove them as our tenants without a suitable alternative for them to go to.”

Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk