|
Published:
February 18, 2006
Council
leader's speech raises hopes for Burnham's Princess Hall
The
threat
of closure looming over Burnham's Princess Hall appeared to ease
on Friday (February 17th) when the leader of Sedgemoor District
Council gave his firm backing to community halls in the area and
a new budget was announced.
 Speaking
at a meeting where the council decided how to spend its finances
during the coming year, Council
Leader Duncan
McGinty said he wanted public halls and community centres "to
prosper and make a larger impact in the community they serve."
Councillors
agreed that funding of theatres in the district - including The
Princess Hall in Burnham - would be set at £258,020 for
2006/07.
Cllr
McGinty added: "We want to see much more local management
of our public halls and community centres."
"This
does not mean we want to see them close, far from it - we want
them not only to survive, but to prosper and make a larger impact
in the community they serve."
"We
believe that this can best be done by moving them out of council
control and into the control of more dedicated local groups still
receiving limited Council funding."
Councillor
McGinty, pictured below, who is on the council's Conservative
group, added: "My
Group believes strongly in the hugely important role of Town and
Parish Councils."
 "For
that reason, we want to empower and enable local councils to assume
direct responsibility for an increased range of services. Indeed,
decisions at this grass-roots level are more responsive to the
needs of the local community."
"This
administration believes that by allowing the freedom and flexibility
for local councils to control their destiny, the quality of local
services will improve to meet their community's expectations."
The
comments come just a week after Burnham's Town Council said it
would start
discussions with Sedgemoor over the future of the Princess.
Friday's
speech was welcomed by Burnham Town Council Leader Peter Clayton,
who told Burnham-On-Sea.com: "This is excellent news for
Burnham and all the users of the hall."
"It
would seem the fears we had over several issues will now be overcome
and the council's finances are being managed effectively."
At
the meeting, the District Council set its proportion of the Council
Tax at 4.2%, equating to a rise of £4.56 a year (8p a week)
for a band D property, totalling £112.21 per annum. A one
per cent rise on the Council tax raises £41,000 for the
District Council.
The
Council Leader did state, however, that there are likely to be
staff cuts, more reliance on electronic services, and fewer committee
meetings during the coming year in order to make financial savings.
RELATED
LINKS:
Princess
Hall is threatened with closure
Your
opinions about this story
|
