Pavilion package finds support

The overview and scrutiny committee decided to back the pavilion working group's proposals when they met on Monday night.

The new agreement would see the building given a core grant of a 500,000 per year.

Subject to council approval a 40,000 a year capital grant, increasing by 2.5 per cent each year, will be made available for building maintenance.

A 12,000 fixed grant will allow community groups to use the pavilion.

A further 15,000 annual discretionary grant, increasing by 5,000 a year, will be made available if the pavilion meets targets set down by an annual satisfaction survey.

The whole package will now pass to cabinet for their approval.

The money will match proposed Arts Council England funding of over 500,000 a year.

Committee members highlighted the maintenance of the building and the continued support of the arts council as two of the most important aspects of the deal.

Working party chairman Cllr Michael Ensor said: "We have an ongoing responsibility for its maintenance and protection and, in reviewing it, the working party has recognised the pavilion is an iconic building not only internationally and nationally, but for the history of Bexhill.

"The dilemma we had as a working group is that we have finite resources as a council and it is this difficulty we have had to try to reconcile.

"The working party has been very mindful of the views of residents and the way they want the De La Warr Pavilion charitable trust to attend to the views of the people of Rother."

He reminded members the 500,000 a year core sum would not be index linked and it would be, 'beholden on the charitable trust' through their business plan to bring in extra finances.

Cllr Sue Prochak congratulated the trust for forging links with the Arts Council England at a time when other organisations are having their funding cut.

She, and other members, pointed out Arts Council England money was crucial to the building and eased the financial burden to Rother.

Cllr Prochak said: "They (the trust) have delivered what we asked for in the first place; a renovated building, although it might not be perfect yet, and have gained the confidence of the Arts Council, getting a repeated and increased grant."

"The long and the short of it, is that by having a fixed 500,000 grant that creates a one per cent saving for the local tax payer," said Cllr David Vereker.

Cllr Stuart Wood said he broadly supported the proposal but would like to see more done to support community groups.

He claimed to have received a latter from the Bexhill RAFA Club saying they could not afford to pay a hire fee of 5,000 for their annual show.

Cllr Wood said: "We have got to find a way for local groups to use the pavilion."

Pavilion director Alan Haydon was unable to speak at the meeting under council rules, but later vehemently denied they would charge any such fee to the RAFA Club.

A pavilion spokesman later informed the Observer the quoted hire fee was 1,273 plus VAT - the same amount the group paid last year.