Pavilion boss rules out admission fee

David Vereker, Rother District Councillor (RDC) for Darwell ward, raised the question at an RDC scrutiny committee meeting on Monday.

Concerned by the prospect of arts council funding cuts, Cllr Vereker said: "I have heard nothing tonight that fills me with confidence that the Pavilion will make money.

"There are an awful lot of taxpayers who are not that happy with how their money is being spent.

"Would you consider charging for admission?"

But Alan Haydon dismissed the suggestion, saying it would be against his religion and the ethos of the building.

"The whole notion of charging people to come into the Pavilion would be an absolute shame and eat away at the sense that it's for the public to choose to go there.

"It's already supported by the taxpayer.

"Why should they pay twice to see something?"

Nearly all of the Pavilion's exhibitions are free. Anthony Gormley's Critical Mass, currently showing on the building roof, initially charged 3 to recoup the cost of the loan, but this fee has now also been dropped.