Waverley's approach to conservation
...Brightwell House before and after Waverley's treatment
...and the Bowling Green before and after Waverley's
treatment
As custodians of Grade II listed
Brightwell House and its listed curtilage, Waverley Borough Council has been
responsible for the dereliction and destruction of these facilities. The last 10
years has seen the once charming Brightwells Gardens, bowling green and theatre
become a target for vandals and despite the Council's efforts to 'tidy up' the
site we are left with these ugly scars. In 1999 the former Redgrave Theatre
Trust handed over £21,000 for repairs to Brightwell House, when they surrendered
their lease to Waverley. The Council did not carry out these repairs and this
historic house now needs restoration costing around £2million, much of it due to
water penetration.
January 2010
Waverley have demolished their unwanted properties around Brightwell House
and have laid turf to improve visual aspect. The Redgrave cannot be
demolished by the Council as it is a listed building. Permission has been
granted for the developer, CNS to demolish the theatre as part of their
particular scheme. CNS say work on the site may not start until late 2011
due to the crisis in the financial markets.
A new Cultural Strategy for Waverley
Waverley Borough Council
has issued their the Cultural
Strategy on their website at
www.waverley.gov.uk the Council say this information is just for
'communication' and not for consultation. Recently there was wide consultation with the Public on
Sports and Leisure Centre facilities but this time the public is not
being asked for their views. Many people will just not be aware of
what is on offer or of what is at stake regarding the arts.
We need your action now to tell
WBC.
There is scant reference to theatre at all in the
document, except for the grand-sounding Waverley Theatre Forum, the
group set up to help amateur societies to work
together more effectively. In no way does that support professional
live theatre and its aspiration to provide excellence nor does it
ask the public what it thinks of what is on offer.
Having a Cultural Strategy is not a mandatory element for a Council.
But a focus on the Arts would be a wise and valuable counterbalance
to have as part of your Council’s Offer to the public who elected
you.
If you too feel that WBC have got it wrong, please write to Kelvin
Mills Director of Leisure, Waverley Borough Council, the Burys,
Godalming, Surrey GU7 1HR. In considering a Cultural Strategy, tell
him they need to focus on the Consumer and not solely on those
existing organisations who receive Council grant support.
Waverley's Cultural Strategy
Tell them
that it’s a basic tenet of market research that:
Understanding Needs must always start with the Consumer, not
the Supplier
Waverley extends CNS contract for two more years
4th November 2008
Waverley Borough Council decided
to extend the contract with Crest Nicholson Sainsbury for another 2
years to allow time for Compulsory Purchase Orders to be implemented
and for the economic conditions to improve.
The
Council resolved to carry out rolling viability checks on the
development before the contract becomes unconditional.
FTA says: The Council claims to be 'in charge'
of this development but we ask, who can predict the outcome? In this
uncertain financial climate, other options may lie ahead.
East Street Plans not to be called in
28th October 2008
The Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government issued a statement giving her decision not to call in the East Street plans stating they are ‘not of wider than local interest’.
Waverley decline a replacement theatre
29th October 2008
Waverley Borough Council declined
to include a 106 agreement (a binding condition) with the developers
for a replacement theatre.
FTA says: Now that these plans have been
approved, WBC is driving ahead regardless of the public’s wishes and
the opportunity to bring serious improvement to the plans.
