Let the Summer last for one more week!!

As the memories of sand, sea and sangria drift away and we return to the rain, routine and rigmarole of our everyday lives........thoughts return to the gripping battle to Save the Tower. So whats happened.....

• The petition is now at 1059 !!! This is way beyond my expectations and it is still growing rapidly through the summer lull. A lot of performers like Fairport Convention, Paul Jones, Swarbrick and Carthy have signed up (see attached link for a full list). Keep spreading the news.....


• If you recall at the meeting in mid-July Councillor Thornber deferred the decision to 13th September to allow for a wider consultation with users and staff, to allow Kings' School to put a proper business case together so that he could get assurances that community arts would not be eroded and to ensure that the view of HAT had been taken into account.


• I am not aware of any progress on any of these points. The long awaited consultation with the users has certainly not happened. My understanding is that the officers of HCC will ask Councillor Thornber for a deferral to October 19th to allow this consultation to take place.


• I have done some digging around alternate funding arrangements. There are some interesting options that would be worth pursuing if we are given a reasonable amount of time to pursue.


• I have also researched into a number of ways of generating more revenue or reducing costs. There are a number of promising options including increasing the partnership with Kings to increase usage and/or partnering with the Discovery Centre and maybe even the Theatre Royal to reduce running costs. This last option is used very successfully by the Anvil/Haymarket and Forge in Basingstoke.


• Over the next few days - Lynda Bannister will be meeting representatives from HCC to get an update from them.


• I hope to meet up with members of the HAT committee over the next couple of weeks to discuss these options. I really belive there is a deal to be done that can meet everyones needs - so fingers crossed.


• We are hoping to form a small action group to share some of the work on the campaign. If you have some time to dedicate to this - please let me know.

In the meantime - keep

TTFN

Alistair