Minutes of the Second Public meeting:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bBaBzkQ3Ls6lwviRIYAbMrHpm3iLOI5zRcGJdBvIjNw/edit?hl=enMr. Groom opened the Meeting but explained he could only stay for a short while, due to a Family bereavement. Mr. Groom had expressed his intention to relinquish the role of Chairman, and suggested the forthcoming meeting should primarily concern itself with forming a Committee, and appointing officers, and in particular a new Chair Person, a Secretary and a Treasurer.
Following Mr. Grooms departure, the meeting was Chaired by Geoffrey Skelhorn, (Chairman of CHAPS).
A number of people present in the room indicated that they were unfamiliar with the history of the Civic Hall, (particularly since the initial moves by the Council to ‘cap’ the Building). Geoff Skelhorn therefore explained the subsequent role of CCHUG, and some of the background and the various events prior to the present expression of the Council’s intent to finally close the Civic Hall.
A number of people present felt that the time for talking was over and that the Meeting should move on to take some specific action.
Mr. Mark Robinson emphasised the importance of forming a forum, and preferably a Committee, or a Community Interest Group to initiate some action to keep the Civic Hall for the Community.
Tony Franks, (Blue Grass), suggested that possible aims and objectives of such a group should be considered, so that a definite direction or course of action could be elucidated.
Dennis Gannon of Penmaenmawr U3A suggested that CCHUG could act as an ‘umbrella organisation’.
Phyllis Pritchard of the Conwy Historical Society reminded everyone present that whatever happened, if the Hall was to be retained, then money would need to be spent upon it.
Geoffrey Skelhorn, in response to this spoke of the problems with the lift, and said that the constant difficulties with this facility were due to a leaking roof. The roof was the first thing, he felt, that would need to be addressed.
Tony Franks emphasised that whatever happened, were a Group to take over the Hall, ongoing costs would have to be met.
One member of the audience pointed out that, in his view, repair work done in the past on the Hall had merely been ‘make do’ work. What was really needed was ‘make good’ work. Obviously, the amount of money spent had to be reasonable, but by only spending the minimum amount, only patch up work had taken place.
Ray Miles of Ysgol Bodafon felt that the meeting should consider not just ‘place – i.e., only the Civic Hall, but rather the function that the building fulfilled. In other words, he felt that perhaps an alternative building might ultimately be made to take on the community function of the Civic Hall.
Jane Hughes, the Organiser of the Conwy Feast disagreed with this quite strongly and believed the Civic Hall as a Building was important to the Community, offering as it did a range of facilities, and not just that of a theatre, or a meeting place alone.
John Willis reminded the meeting of Bill Bowen’s view that the Civic Hall was strategically placed in Conwy, with an important position, overlooking the Harbour, and forming a connection between the Town and the Quay.
Mr. Pilkingham from the Audience said that in his view, if the Civic Hall went, then that was the Heart of Conwy gone.
In general the feeling of the meeting was that an attempt should be made to save the Civic Hall.
Sue Holt of CHAPS said that she felt it was time to move on from general discussion, and reminded everyone that the meeting had been called for a purpose. She felt that the time had come to move on and to discuss possible courses of action.
At this point, the Chairman, (Mr. Skelhorn), pointed out to the Meeting that in fact two Councillors, from Conwy County Borough Council, (CCBC), were present, these being Councillor Goronwy Edwards, and Councillor Joan Vaughan. He felt that they should be invited to speak on the matter, should they wish to do so. Both Councillors said they would be delighted to address the Meeting.
Goronwy Edwards said that he’d had a ten year involvement with the Civic Hall and gave a brief resume of the present position. He said that there had been a Developer involved with the Quay, and who had presented proposals for the Civic Hall, but had ultimately pulled out from the Quay development. Various feasibility studies had considered the best course of action, and a discussion had taken place with CCHUG at one stage for a community run Civic Hall.
Unfortunately for various reasons none of the various options had thus far progressed, although the Council had done their best to keep the Building as a usable facility for the community.
At present a developer was looking at the possibilities for the Hall, and would be reporting back to the Council, after a period of six months with their proposals.
The situation with the building was that over £1 million would need to be spent to bring the building up to modern standards, and given the severe current financial strictures, with severe budgetary cuts for the next five or possibly ten years, the Council did not have this sort of money available.
He went on to say that unless some Community Group could take over and operate the Hall he saw little future for it in its present form. He referred to the situation with Theatr Colwyn, and pointed out that a local community group together with the Colwyn Bay Town Council, who had put a small precept on the Council Tax, had been able to run the Theatre, and had been very successful in obtaining grant funding to both keep the Theatre running and to carry out improvements.
He believed something similar could be done in Conwy, with the cooperation of the Conwy Town Council, who he suggested could perhaps put a small precept on the Council Tax for the purpose, and working together with a Community Group there perhaps could be a future for the Civic Hall.
Obviously any proposal would be considered by the Council, together of course with proposals that might come from elsewhere.
Asked if the Civic Hall could be kept open until Theatr Colwyn re-opened, in order to ensure continuity of provision for local groups, Mr. Edwards said that he thought this unlikely, and that in any case, other venues were available and had been offered to local groups who had enquired.
Councillor Joan Vaughan, responding to a question from Jane Hughes said that there were inevitably difficulties in getting a community style of Committee to work, but that with persistence and dedication it could be done. If such a committee could work with the Conwy Town Council, then it might be possible for the Civic Hall to be run in a similar way to Theatr Colwyn, but Councillor Vaughan said that, any such Committee would have to stick at it’! Councillor Vaughan also said that she would be prepared to be a champion for such a group, if they could show her they were in earnest.
Councillor Edwards went on to say that the CCBC had put some money aside for capital work on the Civic Hall, but that some of that money had been spent. He said that around £350,000 of that sum remained, but warned that because of present financial pressures, there was a danger that this money could be taken for use elsewhere. Councillor Edwards also warned that any group being set up to take on the running of the Civic Hall must be very much aware of what they were taking on.
Mr. Skelhorn thanked both Coun. Edwards, and Coun. Vaughan for being prepared to stand up and discuss the Hall.
At this point, those people willing to sit on a Committee to consider a future course of action for the retention of the Civic Hall were invited to stay behind, and the general meeting was closed.
