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Cabinet
Wednesday, 9th January, 2008

Bath & North East Somerset Council

MEETING:

Cabinet

MEETING DATE:

9th January 2008

AGENDA ITEM NUMBER

14

TITLE:

Future of Victoria Hall, Radstock - Update

EXECUTIVE FORWARD PLAN REFERENCE:
   

E

1748

WARD:

Radstock

AN OPEN PUBLIC ITEM

List of attachments to this report: n/a

1 THE ISSUE

1.1 An information report covering the progress made since the Cabinet agreed at its November meeting to decide the future of Victoria Hall, Radstock after further investigation was undertaken into Option D (Lease to the Town Council for the Town Council for community purposes at a rent or a premium) and Option E (Wider-Scale Community Use).

2 RECOMMENDATION

2.1 The Cabinet notes the progress made and that a report will be prepared for the March Cabinet setting out proposed objectives and a delivery programme in relation to Radstock town centre.

3  FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS

3.1 Financial implications at this stage are limited to officer time and minimal costs which will be contained within existing budgets.

3.2 A full resource plan will be prepared to show how this project can be taken forward.

4 COMMUNITY STRATEGY OUTCOMES

4.1 Promoting a 'sense of place' so people identify with and take pride in our communities. The Quirk report provides a new basis for the consideration of community management of public assets. The Council's approach to Quirk is based on a presumption of gaining a benefit either in terms of adding to the provision of services within the authority, in which case a supporting Service will back the bid of an organisation for support OR obtain best consideration for the property for re-investment in provision of community services generally.

4.2 Sharing resources, working together, and finding new ways of doing things. Discussions with the Town Council and others have confirmed that there is commitment by all parties to work together to find the most appropriate way of utilising Victoria Hall for the benefit of the community of Radstock, and to look at this in the context of wider development and regeneration of Radstock, This will involve an examination of likely development sites and identify possible uses of these, helping to clarify viable and desirable uses for Victoria Hall in the context of an overall Vision for the town.

5 CORPORATE IMPROVEMENT PRIORITIES

5.1 Developing a sustainable economy. Progress of options will assist in ensuring a sustainable future for the central area of Radstock.

5.2 Improving the public realm. Progress of options could be linked with other initiatives to improve the public realm in Radstock.

5.3 Improving customer satisfaction. Progress of options could mean a model of service delivery that potentially improves customer satisfaction.

  • 6 CPA KEY LINES OF ENQUIRY

    6.1 Ambition for the community - i.e. What the council, together with its partners, is trying to achieve. The Quirke report encourages Council's to work with the community to encourage ownership of public assets, looking at the future of Victoria Hall in the context of a wider regeneration for Radstock will produce a vision for its future.

    6.2 Prioritisation of ambitions. The particular ambitions that are contained within options D and E will be set against wider community aspirations across the authority. As yet a framework for examining the cases for greater community management has not been set.

    6.3 Creating and developing a better quality of life for the area through, safer and Stronger Communities. Progression of options D and E may contribute to the outcomes set out within the Quirke report which sits within the safer and stronger communities agenda

    6.4 Improving engagement with and a range of services for Older People and Children and Young People. Progression of options D and E could see new method of delivery of services to this area of the community.

    7 THE REPORT

    7.1 As requested by the 7th November Cabinet, further discussions have taken place with the Town Council, Norton Radstock Regeneration (NRR) and other key stakeholders. These discussions have been useful and productive. It has also become evident to all parties that a longer time scale must be allowed if the future of Victoria Hall is to be made in the context of an overall vision, plans and opportunities for Radstock.

    7.2 Progress that has been made includes,

  • The Future of the Somer Valley (Midsomer Norton & Radstock and the surrounding communities) initiative currently out for public engagement / comment - www.bathnes.gov.uk/future/somer+valley
  • Proposals to produce a regeneration delivery plan for each of the main urban areas, including Radstock, setting out, within the statutory planning framework, what should be delivered and how.
  • Establishment of a cross service officer project team, led by Development & Major Projects, to produce - in conjunction with the Town Council and NRR and other stakeholders - a work programme to bring forward objectives and an associated regeneration delivery plan for Radstock.
  • Obtaining clarity of land-ownership issues.
  • Establishing that a third parties' application to English Heritage to add Victoria Hall to the statutory lists has been declined. English Heritage has however commented that the building makes a positive contribution to streetscape and is of clear local interest to the social history of the town.
  • Agreement to leave the existing tenancy arrangement of Victoria Hall in place while this work takes place.
  • Agreement that by the end of January the Council will complete a review of the repairs and maintenance requirements and identify works which need to be undertaken to Victoria Hall in the short-term to protect the Council's property asset while its longer term future is decided.

  • 7.3 RISK MANAGEMENT

    7.4 The report author and Lead Cabinet member have fully reviewed the risk assessment related to the issue and recommendations, in compliance with the Council's decision making risk management guidance.

    8 RATIONALE

    8.1 Discussions have identified a commitment for all the interested parties to work together to find resolution to the issue. This requires further planning and investigative work to future the vision and business case, which will involved other external bodies and interested stakeholders.

    9 OTHER OPTIONS CONSIDERED

    9.1 None.

    10 CONSULTATION

    10.1 A draft of this report has been provided to the Section 151 Officer, Finance Officer, Chief Executive, Monitoring Officer, Assistant Director - Development & Regeneration, and Planning Services, and their comments, where appropriate, have been incorporated into the report.

    10.2 A draft of this report has also been provided to Norton Radstock Town Council and Ward Councillors, and their comments have been incorporated.

    11 ISSUES TO CONSIDER IN REACHING THE DECISION

    11.1 Protection of the Council's property asset.

    11.2 Need to work with organisations representing the local community to understand how Victoria Hall could best meet the community's needs in the context of an overall vision for Radstock.

    12 ADVICE SOUGHT

    12.1 The Council's Monitoring Officer (Council Solicitor), Section 151 Officer (Strategic Director - Support Services), Chief Executive, have had the opportunity to input to this report and have cleared it for publication.

 

Contact person

Margaret Masling, 01225 477005 margaret_masling@bathnes.gov.uk

Sponsoring Cabinet Member

Councillor Malcolm Hanney

Background papers

7th November 2007 Cabinet Report and Minute 42 - Future of Victoria Hall

Please contact the report author if you need to access this report in an alternative format