Town Council could run cinema at a profit
HEBDEN Royd Town Council believes it can run the town’s historic cinema at a £14,630 annual profit, if its ambitious asset transfer bid is approved.
However, councillors proposed that the town council should go to Calderdale Council, which currently runs Hebden Bridge Picture House, and ask for extra funds to help towards running and major improvement (capital projects) costs.
Councillor James Baker (White Lee ward) said: “It’s going to be difficult to write the business plan because we won’t have our annual budget set until January. We have to find some money to do the capital projects.
“I think somebody on this committee should start some dialogue with Calderdale before we sign up to running the Picture House. If we want this project to work, we have to get as much out of Calderdale as we can, to give us a kick start.”
The town council’s draft budget for the running of the cinema, which was discussed at a meeting of the Picture House committee, would see it make the profit if it spent £20,000 a year on repairs - however this does not budget for capital projects, which includes structural repairs to the roof.
Hebden Royd is confident it will be able to find the extra money, but town clerk Jason Boom said even if it fails, rate payers would not be left out of pocket.
“Hebden Royd Town Council has not yet started the risk assessment for the Picture House,” he said. “If we get a lease on it - we’re not going to get a freehold - and it goes pear shaped, then we would just surrender the lease. But we honestly think we can make it work.”
The town council must deliver its final budget to Calderdale Council by December 1, which will then make a decision on the cinema’s future in early 2012.
In the meantime, the town council must prove to Calderdale Council that there is public support for its asset transfer plan and the town council has proposed to engage in two weeks of consultation from October 10 to 23. Council representatives will be in the Picture House throughout this period and will be in St George’s Square from 10am to 12pm on Saturday, October 15; from 2pm to 4pm on Sunday, October 16; and 2pm to 4pm on Saturday, October 22. There will also be a drop-in session at Hebden Bridge Town Hall from 6pm to 8pm on Wednesday, October 26, and at the ward forum meeting in Hope Baptist Church on Thursday, October 13.
A short questionnaire will be available on the town council’s website, at www.hebdenroyd.org.uk, from October 10 to 30 and local schools will be given survey forms.
Mr Boom said: “We’re trying to give people an input, but we’re not trying to be led down various paths. We know what needs to be done at the Picture House and we need to let the public know that.”
Coun Baker said the town council must ensure that everybody’s voice is heard if the project is going to work.
“I get the idea that Calderdale want to see public support for the governance, so I think we need to ask some questions around governance in a non-prejudicial way to find out what the public thinks,” he said.
There had been questions raised about whether the public would want another group to run the cinema, but Coun Dave Young (West End ward), who chaired the meeting, said the town council was the only option other than Calderdale Council - which he said would not invest any money to improve it.
“I’m sure if there were any other groups wanting to take it over, they would have been in contact with us and Calderdale, but nobody has,” he said.
Mr Boom said that if the asset transfer bid was successful, then the town council’s extra responsibility would mean more hours for the new administrator, who will replace the retiring Mrs Christine Jackson.
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