Warminster - No decision on Conservative money-wasting plan

8.49.00am BST (GMT +0100) Tue 17th Aug 2010

Paul Batchelor

Warminster Town Council held a meeting on Monday August 16th to decide whether or not to go ahead with the plan to move the council's office to the Assembly Rooms. The outcome of the meeting was that no decision was made, and the council will undertake further consultation.

Keep up to date with events in Warminster via http://www.warminsterpeople.co.uk/home

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In a poll in April the town was asked, 'Do you approve of the town council's proposal to move to the Assembly Rooms'. Despite the short notice given by Wiltshire Council, 588 people voted and of these 540 (92 per cent) voted No.

www.visionforwarminster.co.uk was the prime moving force behind the parish poll in Warminster yesterday, and their enterprise in standing up for Warminster when the Conservative council failed to do so is to be welcomed.

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Previous update:

Warminster's Conservatives have voted to take out an £800,000 loan to revamp the Assembly Room. Liberal Democrat Paul Batchelor was the only town councillor to vote against the proposal.

The "Vision for Warminster" website - www.visionforwarminster.co.uk - is calling for a parish poll on the matter. If you're a Warminster resident and you think the public should be able to decide whether this is a good use for your council tax then please support this idea.

"The total for refurbishing the hall is more than the cost of the town centre works. How can they justify such a disproportionate expense?" asked Paul.

The total cost of the fixed-rate loan will be £1.5million.

"Why is Dewey House now deemed an unsuitable venue?" asked one resident. "If it is a matter of space there must surely be more viable and cheaper alternatives to the current proposal. What exactly are the proposals to modify the Assembly Hall to be? I would have thought that the place could be demolished and completely re-built for such a huge sum!"

Comment - This is a classic case for a parish poll and I hope the citizens of Warminster will be able to achieve that. A poll on this website in February showed 83% against the scheme and 17% in favour.

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Your say: "At a time when most families have great trouble paying their bills, mortgages, health expenses and trying to keep out of debt, how can it be sensible to spend so much on the Assembly Rooms , and put the repayment on the public for years to come? The council tax is already a huge burden to all those of moderate means. Please think again and have a public vote on it."

"I strongly agree that a parish Poll is the way forward - we must put a stop to this completely unsuitable plan at such huge cost to the whole community. Warminster needs it's own Town Hall back - it will be a great treasure to those who live here and to all who visit the town. Let the Council and all who care about 'lifting' our town, do our best to make this happen.