Letter: Conditions Set Do Protect Community Use of the Electric Theatre

Published on: 10 Jan, 2017
Updated on: 10 Jan, 2017

From Gordon Bridger

Hon Alderman and former Mayor of Guildford

I write on behalf of The Guildford Society which, concerned by the need to preserve and promote community use of public buildings, had a meeting, a couple of months ago, with Cllr Nikki Nelson-Smith, lead councillor for heritage and the arts, James Whiteman, director for environment and other council staff, to discuss our concern about future community use of the public buildings.

We were very impressed with the requirements any bidder would have to accept by taking over responsibility for the theatre. They seemed to us extremely thorough and difficult to fault. The fact that GATA has been reported as accepting them should give further assurance to those concerned by its takeover by a commercial enterprise, the Academy of Contemporary Music.

The decision taken to approve it at the Guildford Borough Council Executive level is one for councillors to decide.