Town hall saved from closure (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Town hall saved from closure

THE threat of closure that has hung over Malmesbury Town Hall and the Athelstan Museum has been lifted after the building was sold to the town council for just £1.

North Wiltshire District Council's executive committee agreed the sale when it met in Chippenham last Thursday (Dec 1).

The committee unanimously approved the sale of the building for the nominal price - which was instantly paid by Malmesbury town and district councillor Patrick Goldstone.

The building will officially be transferred to the town council on April 1, 2006, at which stage the management of Athelstan Museum will be handed to the Friends of Athelstan Museum.

The committee's decision to accept the town council and Friends of Athelstan Museum's (FOAM) proposals were welcomed by mayor Jacky Martin, who headed a task force set up to develop the business plan.

She said: "Although we feel we have done a lot of hard work, in fact, this is where the hard work really begins.

"We need to all pull together as a town council and ensure that we work with the best interests of the community in mind."

Central to the town council's plans was securing a £500,000 low interest loan from the Public Work's Loans Board towards the projected £1.06million costs of renovations to the town hall.

The work consists of essential maintenance to the building and improvements to satisfy legislation for access for the disabled.

The £500,000 loan has been approved, the Minton Group has pledged £150,000 as part of the agreement to redevelop the Lucent Technologies site and £108,932 is available from the town council's funds.

The town council wants to sell off land occupied by private parking spaces and neighbouring public toilets for between £225,000 and £309,000.

To make up a potential shortfall in building work the district council has agreed a £77,00 contribution if needed.

Also critical to the town council's hopes is the need to increase its share of council tax payments to cover the town hall's annual running costs.

As reported in the Standard last week this would result in the council tax bill for an average Band D property rising by £62 per year, although this has yet to be formally agreed by the town council.

The town council will have to draw up a design brief for the town hall and submit planning applications for any building work.

The museum will continue as it is, rent free, but in the future will move into a shared space with the tourist information centre and town hall offices, resulting in the creation of a heritage centre and longer opening hours.

The transitionary period will mean the museum having to close for a while for structural changes to be completed.

James D'Arcy, chairman of FOAM, said: "We are really pleased, but we really have to follow behind how the town hall group can work their building plans.

"That's got to be settled and then there's got to be a sequence of events, what they do first and what they do second."