Meeting documents

Statement with reference to the future of the Victoria Hall, Radstock

The Victoria Hall is one of the most important historic buildings in Radstock. It has been used by the community in and around Radstock for over a hundred years. We, the Meadow View Residents' Action Group, have applied for listed building status, the reason being that we must protect it for future generations to use for community purposes. The other reason is that repairs and alterations to it would then be zero rated for VAT

We agree that BANES and Norton Radstock Town Council should work together for the Hall to be used for the community, as this was the original purpose behind Frances Lady Waldegrave's endowment, and over the century this present building has served Radstock well.

We also agree that the provisions of the Quirk Report should be investigated but this can only be a possible long term solution, as it will not be operative until at least autumn 2008. To then form a Trust and get a proper legal agreement would take at least a further six months while the building will continue to deteriorate.

In May 2005 the Town Council got a chartered building surveyor to survey the building and draw up a schedule of repairs with costings. The Report was given to BANES officers for action. Unfortunately I only became aware of this report in November 2007 but as soon as I read it I inspected the hall, the snooker room and the reading room myself and examined the front facade. In fact with the help of Cllr Jackson I showed Cllr Hanney myself the problem with the bulge and the gap between the first floor floorboards and the front wall, and gave him a copy of the Report. My main concern now is the new cracks in the snooker room walls One can see clearly that the section of the front façade above the main doorway is out of plumb with the rest of the building

On 5^th January 2008 I went back again to the site and checked the cracks. It seems to me that further damage has occurred and that a qualified structural engineer's report is urgently needed and action should be taken immediately on his report.

I have worked in the construction trade for over fifty years, and I find it amazing that no action was taken over the 2005 report. We made repeated representations to our elected representatives but the Victoria Hall Working Party which produced reports and an action plan in 2005 was never re-convened.

If this was your own home, or even this Guildhall, you would never tolerate such a situation - and neither would your insurance company. The Victoria Hall is like part of home to so many Norton Radstock people so please take action NOW before it falls down around us.

Gary Dando, Chair, Meadow View Residents' Action Group 15 January 2008