To receive an update on the progress of the Campus since the last meeting. The notes of the last Nadder Centre Board meeting will be circulated at the meeting.
Minutes:
The Chairman update the Board on the proposal to apply for change of use, to enable commercial leasing of a space in the building. This was due to the large costs involved with running the building, so the Council had considered options to raise the income.
A meeting had been held at Nadder Centre to discuss the proposals. Since that time communication between the Council and the community had improved.
The Board heard from Viv who ran exercise classes at the centre. She had relocated her business to the centre because she had been led to believe that it would be develop into a health and wellbeing centre. If the centre decided to expand the nursery, then this would not fit with the original plan.
Question:
Would the planning application be withdrawn next week? Answer: The Planning Committee may ask for a site visit; in which case they may defer the application until that had taken place.
Was the Council trying to get in to the area of tax avoidance? Answer: The wish was to reduce the costs of running something like this. We must look at the books and do what we can to reduce the subsidy.
At the public consultation meeting held at the centre last week, it was made clear that the community felt that Wiltshire Council had not made the best of a situation by lack of communication with the public. There were a number of people who would have liked to hire some of the rooms here but did not know who to go to, so there was a potential loss for this building. If there has been a loss its due to lack of communication and consultation with Tisbury and the surrounding villages.
The Chairman noted that the opening ceremony here took place had been a good event, and asked for people to give the them time to tackle the teething problems. The footfall needed to be increased to keep encouraging the café.
The will of Wiltshire council was to make this place a success and minimise the cost. To build on the success of the centre and make it the heart of the community.
He gave an update on the progress of the History Society’s situation regarding their relocation into the centre. The process had been delayed by the consultation and meeting the previous week. Once they were aware of which spaces were still available they would take another look at this and other developments on the horizon.
A Charity day had been planned for 3 June, this would be a black-tie dinner and dance for 145 people at £35 a head. Funding would be raised by holding an auction of promises. Baroness Scott had offered tea for 4 and a conducted tour around the house of Lords.
Steve Harris explained that the Nadder Centre Board (NCB) was a sub group of the Area Board, the NCB could make recommendations to the Board, who could then make recommendations to the Cabinet.