Heavy Hearts and Angry Souls...but the battle is not over

It is with a heavy heart and an angry soul that I have to let you know that today Margaret Snaith the Conservative County Councillor has agreed to all the recommendations within the report and that the Tower Arts Centre will transfer to Kings' School. Lynda Bannister led a deputation that presented an excellent case for deferring the decision. A number of County and City Councillors also spoke out against the decision. The general feeling from all objectors was that the decision had already been made.

The heavy heart is because of the sense of loss - the Tower Art Centre is a fantastic asset for all of us in Hampshire. My heart reaches out to John Tellet, Anita, Adam, Jo and all the other staff who have worked hard to make the Tower Arts the inspirational place that it is. With the talents that these people have - I am sure they will have future success.

The Angry Soul is because of the way that the Conservative County Councillors have behaved. Up until four weeks ago - the public were not aware of what was happening. Since the leak, the County Council has tried to allay fears. Just three weeks ago Margaret Snaith said that these were "early days" in the decision. We got similar messages a couple of weeks ago from the Conservative County Council Leader Ken Thornber who said they were only at the "preliminary discussion" stage.

The report on which the decision has been based leaves many unanswered questions and in my view lacks the due diligence required to support such a key decision. It has been made without due consideration or sufficient consultation. On these grounds - I believe that the decision maybe negligent and I will be investigating whether there is sufficient grounds for pursuing this line.

In the three weeks since the petition started we have over 700 signatories - quite some achievement in such a short time. Please continue to spread the word and keep up the pressure. With this level of support - I feel confident that we can make a difference!

Finally, despite my reservations about their abitity to take this on - I genuinely hope that Kings' School make a decent fist of it. They have taken on an onerous responsibility and I hope they dedicate the appropriate level of skills and resources to ensure that this community asset is preserved