What's on

Following failed negotiations between Thornbury Community and Arts Community Interest Group (CIC) and the Armstrong Hall Trust, a YES/NO poll will be held for Thornbury residents who are on the Electoral Register. The wording of the question is as follows:

“Would you like the Town Council to carry out a consultation with residents and Armstrong Hall users as was previously done when coming to a decision on the future of the Armstrong Hall?”

The Armstrong Hall Trust, whose sole trustee is Thornbury Town Council, has stated its intention to work with South Gloucestershire Council and the Turnberrie's Community Centre trust to develop, instead, a new facility on the Turnberrie's site. This would require the sale of the existing site of the Armstrong Hall Complex. There is no information available yet about the nature of the new facility or when it will be available. Former user groups, especially those which need the capacity of the Armstrong Hall or the acoustic benefits of the Cossham Hall, are suffering or leaving the town for other venues.

The Armstrong Hall Action Alliance (AHAA) is increasingly concerned about how and why this decision has been reached, since:
• It runs counter to the outcome of public consultations held in 2017 and 2018;
• All the discussion has taken place behind closed doors;
• Community facilities at Turnberries draw footfall away from the High Street;
• It is quite unclear as to how all the facilities offered by the whole Armstrong Hall Complex, including the historic Cossham Hall, could possibly fit onto the Turnberries site;
• Large redevelopment projects by local authorities are notorious for taking several years to complete, during which time our performance groups, in particular, will cease to be part of Thornbury – if they survive at all;
• The ownership of the asset may be under threat of moving to South Gloucestershire Council and away from the town itself; and
• The precious heart-of-the-town site, which was a gift to the town, will be lost.

AHAA formed a Community Interest Company (CIC), called Thornbury Community and Arts, to offer a viable, financially sustainable alternative to the Turnberrie's scheme, by way of a social enterprise. It would retain the Armstrong Hall Complex, restore it to use, maintain it until more costly redevelopment can be funded, and run it not only to re-enable its former use for the benefit of local people, but also to increase usage by creating an arts centre, with exhibitions (including displays from Thornbury Museum), more films, and more events – especially comedy and new small acts.

The poll will be held on Thursday 26 May, between 4pm and 9pm. There are no postal or proxy votes, and no voting cards. The locations for voting are, as usual, St Mary’s Church Hall, Eastbury Road; the Scout Hut, Park Road; and Turnberries Community Centre at the lower corner of the Rock Street car park.

Please email below or call 413850 if you would like to vote but have no means of getting there, and we will try to help with transport. If you would like more information, please use these same contact details.

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