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23 February 2008
Mrs Elizabeth Kitchen
Leader
Horsham District Council
Park North
North Street
RH12 1RL
Dear Mrs Kitchen
HORSHAM TOWN HALL
The Horsham Society is greatly concerned by the report
to the Council meeting next Wednesday on the future of
the Town Hall which makes a mockery of the Council’s
public consultations.
The Town Hall has long occupied a central position in
the town and, as befits its position in Market Square,
is regularly used for markets and for a wide range of
other community activities.
Despite several decisions of the Council following
recommendations by an advisory group in favour of a
community use, these have not been supported at
Cabinet level.
The report comments that “the building does not play a
role in the delivery of the Council’s services” but
while the Council has an obligation to manage its
capital assets efficiently it is at least arguable
that the Town Hall qualifies as a service on level
terms with other community services such as Horsham
Park, the Arts Centre and the Pavilions in the Park.
As regards running costs, the Society notes that the
annual operating and maintenance costs total some
£30,000 and the income total around £18,000, leaving a
deficit of some £12,000 which is already met, in part
at least, by the Special Charge on the unparished
area. Notwithstanding that the building is listed
Grade 2 and is in a Conservation Area it has received
little attention in recent years and is not actively
promoted. This may explain the limited use of the
former Court Room on the ground floor and
unavailability of the former Council Chamber on the
first floor, for many years virtually restricted to
storage.
Turning to capital costs, there is a need to meet the
capital cost of some refurbishment. Whilst this might
not be covered by the £206,000 earmarked for
improvements to the Town Hall in this year’s budget,
it is open to question whether the extent of the work
proposed, and the levels of cost indicated in the
Consultant’s report, is necessary. For example, while
access for the disabled under the provisions of the
DDA is desirable the means of access proposed is, to
say the least, elaborate. Moreover, an additional
£138,000 in funding is available in this year’s budget
because the planned landscape improvements in Causeway
have been deferred. The total available funding of
almost £345,000 would go a long way towards essential
refurbishments.
While the Society appreciates that a commercial use,
perhaps of the particular kind proposed in the report,
to the exclusion of a community use would exempt the
Council from any further liabilities it considers that
the Council has not made a sufficient case to go
against the wishes of the residents of the town and
the loss of its village hall would not have the
support of public opinion.
The extremely short notice between the publication of
the report and the Council meeting amounts to
unreasonable haste and disregard for due process. We
ask that a decision on the paper is deferred at least
until the next Council meeting. We also suggest that
before going any further the Council should hold a
public referendum on its proposal.
I should be grateful if you would ensure that the
Council is made aware of our views when it comes to
consider the report.
I am copying this letter to the Chairman of the
Council, Councillor Lindsay, the Chief Executive and
the West Sussex County Times.
Yours sincerely
John Steele, Chairman
Oliver Palmer, Vice President;
Chairman, Planning Committee
Main
Town Hall page8
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