Minutes:
The Executive Director presented the report which updated the Panel on options for the St Georges Guildhall complex and the implications for Capital Funding. Information was also provided on the work which was taking place which would help to strengthen any future grant applications. The Executive Director explained that the Panel were asked to consider the options for the complex and provide a steer for Cabinet on the preferred way forward.
The Panel were provided with information on the following:
· Previous work which had been carried out.
· How the Guildhall Complex had been run in the past.
· The reasons why the previous bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund had been unsuccessful.
· Work which had been carried out with other organisations.
· Future funding opportunities.
The Principal Project Surveyor presented the Panel with information on the current issues with the site and potential ideas for the future.
The Chairman thanked officers for their presentation and invited questions and comments from the Panel, as summarised below.
Councillor Tyler commented that the facility was a good venue for small organisations to hire and it should be retained. However consideration needed to be given to the state of the facilities and ways to encourage other organisations to make use of the facilities. Councillor Manning agreed that it was a useful facility for smaller organisations but the spaces available needed to be more flexible and he supported removable seating in the Guildhall to make it a more usable space.
Councillor Kunes commented that he did not feel that many people had visited the Guildhall Complex, or only had occasion to use it very rarely. He queried if there was a need for the facility given that there were other facilities in the area which could be utilised.
Councillor Middleton referred to the Arts offer in King’s Lynn and he felt that there were a lot of creative people in the area, but there needed to be a way to draw them into the Guildhall Complex. He felt that the Council needed to do something completely different as previous arrangements had not worked. He felt that significant investment would be required to draw people in from the wider area.
Councillor Mrs Collingham suggested that an Informal Working Group be established to look at the issue in more detail. She felt that information such as price hire comparisons and market surveys were required before the Panel could provide a steer on the way forward. She also commented that local village halls were offering some of the events that had previously been offered by the Guildhall Complex.
The Vice Chairman, Councillor Mrs Wright commented that the Council had worked hard on its Heritage offer and should continue to do so with regards to the Guildhall. She commented that it was one of the oldest and largest Guildhalls in the Country and was an extremely important asset to the town. She commented that there needed to be added flexibility to the use of the space and it needed to be fit for purpose. She referred to the recent designation of Heritage Action Zone which was all about selling King’s Lynn on its Heritage offer. She commented that she supported the proposal for an overall site scheme.
The Panel was informed that the White Barn was the Council’s Freehold property and commercial options for this area could be investigated to bring the site back into use.
The Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and Health, Councillor Mrs Nockolds thanked the Panel for their contributions and the interesting debate. She explained that she was passionate about the Guildhall and explained that lots of people enjoyed attending the facility. She referred to the King’s Lynn Festival which drew people in from all over the Country. She referred to the Heritage Action Zone designation and commented that it would be wrong to do nothing. She explained that she worked with external organisations and ways to improve the Arts offer in King’s Lynn was being looked at.
The Chief Executive commented that there was no ‘no cost’ option as repair works were required and the Panel would need to weigh up whether the minimal amount of works should be carried out, or more of an investment should be put into the area. He referred to the unsuccessful Heritage Lottery Fund bid and explained that the Council needed to do something completely different to how the site had previously been run in order to attract funding opportunities. The Chief Executive commented that often the best way to preserve historical buildings was to use them.
RESOLVED: (i) The Panel favoured an overall site scheme.
(ii) An Informal Working Group be established to look at the Guildhall Complex and potential site schemes and report back to the Regeneration and Development Panel in due course.
(iii) The following Members be appointed to the Informal Working Group: Councillors Mrs Collingham, Manning, Middleton, Tyler and Mrs Wright (Chairman).