Town Council defer decision on leasing Town Hall space to businessman
Alan Price submitted a plan that we have previously reported on to transform the area currently used by the Town Hall’s outdoors team (pictured) adjacent to his successful business, The Owl & Pussycat.
In his impressive presentation to the Town Council, he said he wanted to provide a new alcohol-free entertainment spot for the town’s younger generation and families.
It received a warm welcome from councillors in general, but at last night’s Property and Services Committee, councillors agreed to set up a ‘Task and Finish’ group to investigate further.
The plan is soundly backed by Cllr Billy Spencer who said it was “exactly what the town’s youngsters need” and that it would bring welcome income in for the cash-strapped Town Council.
But others took a more cautious approach.
Cllr Morag Bailey warned: “As a committee we don’t have enough information on this. What is the impact on the council? How much will it cost to move the workshop, and to where? How much will it cost to prepare the property to rent it out? We need to determine whether this is a viable option or not. It could end up being financially detrimental to us.”
Cllr Nick Howells also added caution by saying that if the council is considering renting out part of the Town Hall, it should go to public tender or they could be accused of “cronyism”. The Mayor, Cllr Phil Owen, a solicitor, pointed out that legal requirements also needed to be considered.
The Task and Finish Group will investigate all aspects of the proposal and report back to full council with their findings.
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