Peoples Palace?

CAN the De La Warr Pavilion stay the 'People's Palace' if it becomes an arts centre of international significance?

That was the question raised in The Daily Telegraph on Tuesday.

The report by Giles Worsley was a pat on the back to Bexhill residents who prevented the Wetherspoons takeover, in order to keep it Bexhill's Civic Centre.

According to the report, now comes the challenge of keeping it that way and finding this new arts centre a 'viable role' in the town.

Giles Worsley wrote: "It was long neglected, underfunded and in poor structural order, and the philistine local council was determined to offload it on the theme-pub chain, Wetherspoons.

"But the locals fought back. Supported by vociferous opposition in the national press, not least in the Daily Telegraph, the Pavilion Trust, which had been fighting since 1989 to save the building, organised a 5,000 strong petition attacking the plans."

Chief Executive of Rother District Council, Derek Stevens, was first to point out there had been a change of council since the Whetherspoons plans.

He said: "People forget this is a national building expected to be supported by a small local council, which makes up 10% of our net budget.

"The article is factually correct and well balanced."

But council leader Graham Gubby felt it failed to recognise the wide range of activities programmed for the De La Warr and how these already catered for more than one age group.

"Both Derek Stevens and I have said that the new charitable trust, as the article says, has got to recognise that the programme has to be balanced." said Graham.

On the point of not wanting to alienate one age group to bring in another, Mr Gubby said: "I will be writing to the editor of The Telegraph to bring to his attention the number of children's activities we have had at the Pavilion all over the summer, and the workshops and shows that go on all year round.

"I feel that strongly about the fact that the article misses how much we have done in the past few years.

"There was no mention of the restaurant, or how the Elizabeth Room has had to be opened up to satisfy booking demands.

"The Whetherspoons debate was just one chapter in the life of the De La Warr.

"The authority has to have the responsibility to look into alternatives. It forced debate at a national level but also we gained international support."