The council has written to the Friends of Water Lane Hall whose ambition is to reopen the building as a community arts and cultural venue.
This follows the results of a recent online survey in which 81% of over 600 respondents ranked community ownership as their preferred option. Working with local business to create more space for retail was the second most popular choice, followed by selling commercially on the open market. Demolishing the building to make way for other uses received the highest number of last place rankings.
An additional 200 people were surveyed on the street, with 78% saying they were in favour or strongly in favour of transferring ownership of the building to the Friends of Water Lane Hall. Creating space for retail and selling the building commercially received similar scores in terms of top and second place rankings, while demolishing the building was viewed least favourably of the four options.
To progress the transfer, the Friends of Water Lane Hall must meet the following conditions by 21 June:
- Raise £500,000 to complete essential works required to reopen the hall for basic hire, including the council’s £170,000 contribution.
- Establish a Community Interest Company with appropriate governance and expertise to operate the venue in a safe and legal way.
- Submit an agreed business plan, validated by a credible third party organisation.
Meeting these conditions will demonstrate that funding is secured and that the building can be managed sustainably, which is a legal requirement when local authorities dispose of an asset for less than market value. If the council is satisfied that these requirements have been met, the transfer of ownership will begin. The group will then have a further 18 months to raise the additional £1.1 million required to deliver the full programme of works identified in the structural survey report.
Councillor Mione Goldspink, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods at East Herts, said: “We have been speaking to the Friends of Water Lane Hall for many months, so they will already be aware of the fundraising and legal steps needed for the transfer. Now that we know that the Friends have widespread community backing, we have sent them a formal letter which gives them the green light to proceed and to work to meet the conditions.
“We already have a strong example of a community asset transfer underway in the district with Ward Freeman Pool in Buntingford, so we know this approach can be achievable with hard work and the right foundations. That’s why it’s important the conditions are met, and we hope that by early summer we will be in a position to move forward and transfer ownership.”