De La Warr Pavilion - the great debate

Working party chairman Cllr Michael Ensor fielded many questions about the survey when he addressed Bexhill Town Forum.

Rother has been putting more than 500,000 a year into the pavilion since handing it over to a De La Warr Pavilion Trust.

That contribution is match-funded by the Arts Council of England.

The funding agreement ends next March and the working group must submit a report in October.

A working group is consulting a wide range of people and organisations in reaching its decision.

A cross-party team of seven members joined by the Youth MP, Luke Springthorpe, is conducting the review. The aim is to ensure that the social, economic and cultural benefits of the Pavilion are being made the most of, for the benefit of Rother residents and local businesses.

They will make recommendations before Christmas to Rother Cabinet on the way in which the new funding agreement is to be framed.

The Town Forum had requested representation on the group but had been told this would set a precedent every parish and town council in Rother might want to follow.

Instead, Rother leader Cllr Carl Maynard had assured the chairman the forum would be consulted.

Chairman Ken Hutchinson said the August 31 deadline had passed without the forum's views being sought. Cllr Ensor said that because of the difficulty in contacting schools during the summer holiday, the deadline had been extended to the end of September.

Cllr Ensor said the working group had met twice with pavilion director Alan Haydon and had been given a conducted tour of the building.

Cllr Ensor told the forum: "The five-year funding agreement expires next March and Rother needs to be mindful of the next period of the agreement and needs to be sure what we are doing is appropriate."

To do its work, the group needed to ensure it had the views of the public. A questionnaire being sent to community groups across the district had been drawn up with the assistance of professionals. Three thousand copies were being sent to households selected on a random basis.

Asked if the questionnaire would be carried on the Rother website, Cllr Ensor said: "I hadn't thought of that but I see no reason why not."

Hotelier Brian Storkey said one of the reasons for spending a lot of money on pavilion restoration was to revive the local economy. He appealed for the opinions of visitors to the area to be taken into account.

His views were endorsed by Desmond Searson, creator of a new DVD flip-book publicising the town and figureheads of town history.

Campaigner Jackie Bialeska asked: "We did our own questionnaires. Will you accept these?"

Cllr Ensor said: "We have consulted an organisation in order to put questions in an unambiguous manner. If members of the public wish to write letters and comment we would be delighted to receive them."

Jackie Bialeska said: "Sometimes the questions you are asked on a paper don't cover the points that people want to raise."

Cllr Ensor told the Observer this week: "We have an enormous opportunity in the De La Warr Pavilion to help the people and businesses of Rother thrive.

"I am keen to hear from Rother people as to how they think this can be achieved in a positive way. I want to use this opportunity to enhance our quality of life and raise community spirit.

"It is very important that we get the terms of the funding agreement right to forge a mutually sustainable partnership into the future".

Members of the public who are interested in participating in the consultation are invited to make their comments to Councillor Michael Ensor: De La Warr Pavilion Working Group, Rother District Council, Town Hall, Bexhill on Sea, TN39 3JX, email at: [email protected] or fax to 01424 787807.