A LAST-ditch attempt to win a stay of execution for the Hengistbury Head Centre is being made amid claims the tender process is “flawed.”

Conservative Cllr Eddie Coope will go before a scrutiny meeting next Wednesday to try and keep the centre open until new operators are found.

Bournemouth council is currently inviting bids from people interested in running the outdoor education centre.

But Cllr Coope, who represents East Southbourne and Tuckton, believes the tender documents are flawed because they place too much emphasis on the prospective operator’s finances and not enough on their community credentials.

Cllr Coope said: “There are certain flaws in the present tender document. If you read between the lines it’s really designed to favour the highest bidder. That to me is all wrong.

“It was previously agreed that any community group interested in running the centre would get council help and assistance to progress their bid. As far as I understand it, that doesn’t seem to be the case.”

Cllr Coope said he had been approached by the directors of the Hengistbury Centre Community Interest Company, who have gone public with their aim of running the centre on a not-for-profit basis.

He said he “liked what he heard” from the CIC but stressed he was keeping an open mind until details of all the bids were revealed.

“I think everybody should be given a fair chance and I just want the Community Interest Company to have a level playing field,” he said.

Jane Portman, Bournemouth council’s executive director for children and families’ services, said: “We will be assessing the bids on a number of factors, including financial viability, the type of use and the extent to which it offers opportunities for use by Bournemouth residents and visitors, and the long term viability and sustainability of the offer.

“Our hope is that we will be able to find a long-term future for the use of the site, working with local charities, groups and/or businesses, that provides a great service for the local community.”

The issue will be considered by the council’s scrutiny and overview management panel on Wednesday, July 22 at 6pm.