Council hears of Pavilion 'delay'

Director of services Tony Leonard is due to put a report before Rother council's district services scrutiny committee updating members on the 6 million project.

The project had to be put out for tender a second time when the first submissions were all found to be over-budget.

The De La Warr Pavilion Charitable Trust has sought a transfer of the management of the Capital Works Programme from Rother to the trust.

Rother resolved to seek Arts Council England and Heritage Lottery Fund approval for an early transfer.

The De La Warr Pavilion Capital Steering Group met on October 20 and short-listed six tenderers from the original 16 expressions of interest. The original five tenderers were all short-listed.

The specification for the work has been trimmed in order to keep the project within budget and tenders are due to be returned mid-December.

Mr Leonard will tell Monday's Town Hall meeting that it was planned by the Charitable Trust that the De La Warr Pavilion should be closed on December 14 as part of the original planned programme of works to enable site set-up and mechanical and engineering works to take place.

"Due to the tender not coming in on budget delays are inevitable, but without a programme of entertainment in place it was not viable for the Pavilion to remain open having planned eighteen months in advance for this closure period.

"It is anticipated, however, that if the revised tenders come in on budget and if a contractor can be appointed swiftly, then this time may be made up with the contractor coming in on site in the New Year; but this does depend on the tender returns.

"In response to the letter received from the De La Warr Pavilion Charitable Trust seeking an early transfer of the building and taking ownership of the capital project, a meeting was set up on October 22 with both Arts Council England and the Heritage Lottery Fund attended by officers from Rother District Council and the Charitable Trust."