Town hall in need of £3m of repairs to be handed to private arts trust
PLANS to transfer a landmark Sutton Coldfield building from the hands of Birmingham City Council to a local trust have been endorsed by the town’s council despite initial doubts.
A proposal to transfer the freehold of Sutton Coldfield Town Hall from the city council to Sutton Coldfield Arts and Recreational Trust (SCART) will be discussed by the city authority’s cabinet at the end of this month. The building is believed to require £3 million of repairs to make it viable.
If the freehold is transferred, it will be on the basis the town hall can only be used for recreational, community and entertainment uses. There would also be a responsibility to maintain the building and improve it.
Town councillor Cllr Simon Ward said: “Transferring the freehold will maximise the opportunity to improve the building and raise funds and we want to support SCART in doing do. We wholly endorse what’s going on.”
But after the meeting Cllr Ward was asked to explain the softening of his stance, as he previously said he would press the city council to pay something towards making improvements.
He said: “The transfer is the easiest way for SCART to raise external funding. We had been asking the city council to stand their corner and at least do something to get the building in to a suitable state for the last two-and-a-half years. I’m deeply disappointed by it.
“I don’t want anyone to think we are happy with it. We are not, but we are supportive of SCART making it the heart of our community.”
Cllr Rob Pocock, said: “Sutton residents will rightly be very wary of seeing their town hall pass out of public hands.
“It has been a civic asset belonging to the public for over a century.
“A better deal would have been for the town hall to have gone to a joint venture between the town council and SCART.
“As things stand, the town council has abdicated its responsibility and leaves the town hall with a perilous and uncertain future”.