Cautionary Foreword.
This author apologises for the severe length of this article. However he believes that the subject matter is so important to Chatteris that he has a duty to be as thorough and detailed in his reported accounts as possible.I have broken it down into ‘bite size’ chunks to minimise the potential risk of readers losing all patience with the continued inactivity of our civic bodies and ‘head butting’ their screen in frustration
Failed Lottery Bid
Late in 2003 or early in 2004 the King Edward centre held a public consultation of exciting new plans to dramatically repair and enhance the building. These were to form the basis of a substantial Lottery Bid and were to be part funded by large grants from government bodies.The proposals were warmly greeted by the many people at the meeting. Less warmly greeted was the news that Cambs County Council wanted £250,000 if they were to sell the building back to the people of Chatteris.
Unfortunately (and perhaps inevitably) the vital lottery bid was to prove unsuccessful, as I understand it, because there were only months left on the trustees lease on the building with the County Council.
The Trustees needed a minimum of a 25 year lease to qualify for lottery money. As the old lease ran out, County Council eventually offered a new three year lease, which transferred the onerous responsibility of maintenance of the building from the County Council to the Trustees personally. Not only did this scupper any lottery bid, but this dear old building showed little indication of more than minimal maintenance, and little significant improvements by the County council over the preceding years ! Hardly fair on the voluntary Trustees !
The Lottery bid failed, so the grant offer was withdrawn. It’s nearly 4 years ago that this all happened, but I recollect hazily that the lost grant monies totaled over £200,000. This opportunity was disgracefully squandered.
Hold the Front Page !
The front page of the community news letter Centrepoint, published a letter in March 2006 on the front page:THE FUTURE OF THE KING EDWARD CENTRE
A personal view from a Chatteris Town Councillor
A personal view from a Chatteris Town Councillor
The King Edward Centre is probably the most valuable and indispensable resource at the heart of Chatteris Community life. Sadly it has had a troubled existence for several years. We must all pay tribute to the Trustees, all private individuals, who stepped in 7 years ago to save it from closure. I believe that the burden of financial responsibility currently resting on the shoulders of the trustees is unfair. Under coming terms demanded by Cambs County Council the burden dramatically worsens. I believe that it will become unnecessarily onerous, and down right unreasonable and unfair on the trustees, and on the users.
The many and varied community groups who fill the centre every week pay testament to its value and importance. Its future needs to be secured NOW !
The Trustees are soon coming to speak to Chatteris Town Council. I intend to use my very best endeavours to lobby my colleagues on Council to buy the centre from Cambs County Council. We have to secure its future and stop squandering opportunities of significant grant aid for maintenance and improvements.
3 years ago C.C.C. valued the centre at 1/4 £million. On the open market its probably nearer 1/3 £million now . But Chatteris Town Council doesn’t need to pay that ! Nothing like it. We need to strongly remind Cambs CC that the Government definition of “Best Value” does not always mean the best monetary price. “Best Value” can mean the best value to the Community. And what is of greater value to the Chatteris Community than the King Edward Centre ?.
If, by any chance, you agree with me, and if you think that the Town Council must save the centre, and if like me you believe that they should undertake ‘hard nosed’ negotiations to obtain a true and affordable community value, please let me know. Please feel free to write to me either at home (19 Pound Road, Chatteris PE16 6RL) or c/o Chatteris Town Council, 14 Church lane, Chatteris. Send a petitions if you wish. Now is the time to speak up for what you want!
Chris Howes
Chatteris Town Councillor
What happened next ?
Letters of support, and a petition were received. The Town Council set up a meeting on 21.03.06 with the Trustees of the Centre, the Town Council, and District & County Councillors Melton and Harper. The story of this meeting has never yet been fully told. But I’ll tell it now !
‘secret meeting .......’
The details of this bid, specifically the proportionate sources of funding, weren’t initially terribly clear, but it emerged after a while that the cunning plan drawn up by FDC was that Town Council should contribute over £100,000 to obtain matched funding. What was the District Council (the designated leisure provider) contributing to this scheme ? Well less than nothing. They were actually proposing charging Town Council between £20,000 and £30,000 just for putting the bid in !
Cllr Howes argued with Cllr Melton that the government requirement for best value could mean best community value, not maximum fiscal value. Three times Cllr Melton interrupted him and dismissed his question as “childish” In fact Cllr Melton wasn’t to answer that question properly until May 2007 (see Blog MORE STUFF)
Cllr Howes then inquired of the leader of the District Council why FDC wasn’t contributing funding themselves. Initially Councillor Harper refused to answer the question on the grounds that he was there as a County Councillor, not a District Councillor. With a hint of sarcasm Cllr Howes reportedly then asked: “ Could we respectfully ask Cllr Harper, wearing his county council ‘hat’ if he could communicate with his colleague, Cllr Harper in his leader of the district council ‘hat’ why FDC weren’t pulling their financial weight”. Cllr Harpo angrily replied (wearing either none, one or both of his hats) “because Chatteris Town Council hadn’t asked FDC for a financial contribution”.
This remarkable answer posed the immediate question why FDC, the bid originator, felt that any suggestion of their making a financial commitment should have come in advance from a second party that were unaware at the time of the proposed bid, despite being included as a major financial contributor. (Makes you want to weep doesn’t it ?)
The meeting was adjourned, because it was suggested that little could be progresseduntil the result of the funding bid be known. This would only be a “month or so”, and in the meantime we mustn’t “do or say anything in case it compromised the bid to Cambridgeshire Horizons”.
At the start of the meeting it was declared that the meeting would be “Private & Confidential” Apparently the District Council had hurriedly cobbled together a bid to Cambridgeshire Horizons for funding which included buying the building at full Market Value.
The details of this bid, specifically the proportionate sources of funding, weren’t initially terribly clear, but it emerged after a while that the cunning plan drawn up by FDC was that Town Council should contribute over £100,000 to obtain matched funding. What was the District Council (the designated leisure provider) contributing to this scheme ? Well less than nothing. They were actually proposing charging Town Council between £20,000 and £30,000 just for putting the bid in !
Cllr Howes argued with Cllr Melton that the government requirement for best value could mean best community value, not maximum fiscal value. Three times Cllr Melton interrupted him and dismissed his question as “childish” In fact Cllr Melton wasn’t to answer that question properly until May 2007 (see Blog MORE STUFF)
Cllr Howes then inquired of the leader of the District Council why FDC wasn’t contributing funding themselves. Initially Councillor Harper refused to answer the question on the grounds that he was there as a County Councillor, not a District Councillor. With a hint of sarcasm Cllr Howes reportedly then asked: “ Could we respectfully ask Cllr Harper, wearing his county council ‘hat’ if he could communicate with his colleague, Cllr Harper in his leader of the district council ‘hat’ why FDC weren’t pulling their financial weight”. Cllr Harpo angrily replied (wearing either none, one or both of his hats) “because Chatteris Town Council hadn’t asked FDC for a financial contribution”.
This remarkable answer posed the immediate question why FDC, the bid originator, felt that any suggestion of their making a financial commitment should have come in advance from a second party that were unaware at the time of the proposed bid, despite being included as a major financial contributor. (Makes you want to weep doesn’t it ?)
The meeting was adjourned, because it was suggested that little could be progresseduntil the result of the funding bid be known. This would only be a “month or so”, and in the meantime we mustn’t “do or say anything in case it compromised the bid to Cambridgeshire Horizons”.
COME ON FDC, COUGH UP !
"This Council calls upon Fenland District Council to commit in principal to match fund all contributions from Chatteris Town Council to purchase and or renovate the King Edward Centre".
Before the motion could be published, the Town Clerk phoned Cllr Howes and passed on a request from the Finance Officer that the motion be withdrawn until it was known whether the bid was successful or not. The matter was never debated, and over a year later, FDC still haven’t been asked to contribute towards the K.E.C.
However it wasn’t only a month or so until we would know the result of this bid which had being given as the reason that no progress could be made. After 3 or 4 months, word dribbled back, that the initial reaction to the bid was unfavourable, but it might be reconsidered if nobody said anything that might rock the boat.
This disgraceful, unnecessary ‘cloak of secrecy’ paralised all visible activity for nearly 17 months ! The facts of the ‘secret meeting’ and the Cambridgeshire Horizons bid emerged during this period, but it is only now that the bid has officially been declared failed.
Following Cllr Harper’s statement that FDC only weren’t proposing financial commitment to KEC because ‘nobody had ever asked them’, Cllr Howes immediately submitted the following written motion for the next meeting of Chatteris Town Council on 4 April 2006:
"This Council calls upon Fenland District Council to commit in principal to match fund all contributions from Chatteris Town Council to purchase and or renovate the King Edward Centre".
Before the motion could be published, the Town Clerk phoned Cllr Howes and passed on a request from the Finance Officer that the motion be withdrawn until it was known whether the bid was successful or not. The matter was never debated, and over a year later, FDC still haven’t been asked to contribute towards the K.E.C.
However it wasn’t only a month or so until we would know the result of this bid which had being given as the reason that no progress could be made. After 3 or 4 months, word dribbled back, that the initial reaction to the bid was unfavourable, but it might be reconsidered if nobody said anything that might rock the boat.
This disgraceful, unnecessary ‘cloak of secrecy’ paralised all visible activity for nearly 17 months ! The facts of the ‘secret meeting’ and the Cambridgeshire Horizons bid emerged during this period, but it is only now that the bid has officially been declared failed.
So where does the matter stand now ?
Chatteris Town Council are now free to debate the matter and ‘suggest’ to FDC that they honour their commitments.
I believe that Chatteris Town Council have an absolute moral obligation to act now. They should offer to buy the King Edward Centre from County Council for £1. In partnership with District Council they could take over responsibility for the fabric of the building and offer the Trustees a 25 year (or 99 year) lease at a peppercorn rent.
This would free the Trustees from the current unfair burden, and finally allow outside money to be injected into the building. The 2003 improvement plans could be dusted down and reconsidered. Amongst other things these included forming a new entrance feature which during the day would serve as a reception and cafe for ‘mums and tots’, and in the evening could possibly serve as that most desperately needed facility - a ‘young person’s cafe’ !
Mind you, FDC could easily contribute to the KEC from the £507,000 they recently received from selling of former Chatteris council land !
Walter Burnett is a pen name
Apparently the County Council have graciously offered the Trustees a new 3 year lease. In addition to maintaining the unfair burden of repair and maintenance on the shoulders of the Trustees, it also demands £10,000 p.a. rent. Is this the Tory pledge in the recent election to guarantee the future of the K.E.C. Well FDC have generously given KEC a grant of £10,000 this year (funded in part by halving the Cromwell Community College grant), but isn’t this simply robbing Peter to pay Paul ? An 3 year lease certainly disqualifies the Trustees from significant grant aid or Lottery money ! It’s not even a temporary and unsatisfactory patch.
Chatteris Town Council are now free to debate the matter and ‘suggest’ to FDC that they honour their commitments.
What could happen ?
At the May meeting of Chatteris Town Council, the newly promoted County Council portfolio holder in charge of Corporate Services Cllr Melton announced that County Council had finally accepted that the requirement to achieve “best value” when disposing of assets, could mean “best community value”, not just “best financial value”.I believe that Chatteris Town Council have an absolute moral obligation to act now. They should offer to buy the King Edward Centre from County Council for £1. In partnership with District Council they could take over responsibility for the fabric of the building and offer the Trustees a 25 year (or 99 year) lease at a peppercorn rent.
This would free the Trustees from the current unfair burden, and finally allow outside money to be injected into the building. The 2003 improvement plans could be dusted down and reconsidered. Amongst other things these included forming a new entrance feature which during the day would serve as a reception and cafe for ‘mums and tots’, and in the evening could possibly serve as that most desperately needed facility - a ‘young person’s cafe’ !
Can it be done ?
Strange to say, yes it can ! Cllr Howes reports that the highly successful Priory Centre halls complex in St Neots is jointly owned by Town and District Councils, and run by a management committee composed of users of the centre, and representatives of the 2 councils. Does Cllr Howes actually know what he’s talking about ? Just possibly he does, he chaired the Priory Centre management committee for several years in the late 1990’s !Anything actually likely to really happen ?
Dunno ! Depends if there is the political will amongst the ruling ‘elite’ to honour promises made both in their literature doing the May local elections, and in a recent newspaper article !Mind you, FDC could easily contribute to the KEC from the £507,000 they recently received from selling of former Chatteris council land !
Walter Burnett is a pen name
