The Bandstand at Oak Hill Park - Page 2

Tealeaf · 06-06-2008, 11:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gayle

Again, quite right, in future the Mela committee won't have to WASTE any more money - we'll be able to spend it all on the things that matter!

So instead of the mela, where is the money going to be spent?

Gayle · 06-06-2008, 11:26

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tealeaf

So instead of the mela, where is the money going to be spent?

What money? We haven't got any money, we have to keep spending it on hiring bandstands! You'd have to ask the lottery people where they want their money to go next year. We might see if we can organise a really loud, grunge and garage festival in Church!

Tealeaf · 06-06-2008, 11:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gayle

What money? We haven't got any money, we have to keep spending it on hiring bandstands!

Typical female logic: no money, but keep spending it anyway. Can any man on here please explain this?

Gayle · 06-06-2008, 11:38

Oh, ok, I'll give you a straight answer if I must!

Each year the Mela committee has to apply for funding (usually lottery or Arts Council which is lottery as well - so not really public purse). Each year we apply for the funding and then we only spend the amount we're allocated. A large chunk of that over the last three years has been for infrastructure with the stage hire.

These lottery organisations don't like wasting money and they see hiring the stage not as a waste as such but they'd prefer it if the money could be going back into the community to pay for the programming. But for the last three years we've had to use at least £3k out of the funding for the stage. I can't see them allowing this to continue. Also, if you want to get deeper into it, the Olympics have taken a huge amount of lottery funding so there will be smaller amounts of money to go around over the next few years.

What you always forget is that this money goes back into the local community - the stage hire company is local so it helps to support their business, the local bands get paid a small fee and get to showcase their acts, local caterers have the opportunity to have stalls, local community groups get stands to explain about their services.

Just because you don't like it, and you clearly don't, doesn't mean that other people don't like it - we get in the region of 5,000 people coming to these festivals.

WillowTheWhisp · 06-06-2008, 11:52

So the bandstand wasn't used enough and HBC logic then says why rebuild it.......... why not instead rebuild it and use it more? I don't know if it's legal to claim insurance and then not spend it on replacing the thing that was insured but it certainly seems immoral.

I don't see having events in the park as being a waste of money. It's good to be able to get out and enjoy things like that in the open air, provided we get decent weather. We are short of facilities.

Not sure about town centre concerts. I tend to find a lot of noise in town like SA bands and stuff at Christmas to be a good reason to get my shopping done ASAP and get off back home again. I can't think straight when it's too noisy. Not the same as a sunny afternoon in the park when all I have to think about is nothing!

PS what we do need in the park is loos though.

accyman · 07-06-2008, 15:23

Quote:

Originally Posted by [email protected]

A public stage is proposed as part of the town centre redevelopment.
Maybe the council considers this as a fulfiment of the promise to restore that public amenity.

I consider this a more realistic option than an out of town restored victorian relic

it wouldnt surprise me at all

a public stage is a few quid spent on a bit of scaffold

if the insurance paid out for a band stand then a band stand should be built in my opinion and that park deserves to be kept and could look so much better with a few quid spent on it

i would rather see a replica bandstand that looks pleasant than a few planks and scaffold slung together

as for town center development the council cant get past broadway , for the past 10 years they have been digging broadway up and still cant get it right and must have thrown millions away in the process

Gayle · 07-06-2008, 16:24

I've been told that to replace the bandstand could cost in the region of £130k to £180k which baffles me a bit as that's the cost of building a fair sized house.

I don't think they'd be able to use the bandstand money in the town centre as it was insurance money for rebuilding the one in the park.

WillowTheWhisp · 07-06-2008, 16:26

I wish they had taken a serious look at some of those plans the students drew up. Some of them were really excellent.

Neil · 07-06-2008, 16:33

Quote:

Originally Posted by accyman

a public stage is a few quid spent on a bit of scaffold

Just a little bit more than that a few quid. Then again I suppose what you class as a few quid.

katex · 07-06-2008, 16:50

Quote:

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I wish they had taken a serious look at some of those plans the students drew up. Some of them were really excellent.

Urbed .. the Planning Consultants for the Masterplan did actually acknowledge the work these students did and used some of their ideas.

I'm with everybody else though .. the bandstand should once again rise from the ashes.

b-sound · 16-06-2008, 11:09

According to the Friends of Oak Hill Park the Bandstand will be rebuilt.

The news comes following the local area council meeting last week and the added pressure from community groups and people of the town. The plans for the bandstand are to be presented by the council at the next Friends of Oak Hill Park meeting.

The meeting is on Wed 18th June, 7.30pm @ Christ Church, everyone being welcome!

The decision by the council to rebuild the bandstand has been made and forgotten about before. Until it is actually completed it can never be definite, however this is a positive step in the right direction.

WillowTheWhisp · 16-06-2008, 11:14

Quote:

Originally Posted by katex

Urbed .. the Planning Consultants for the Masterplan did actually acknowledge the work these students did and used some of their ideas.

I liked some of the more imaginative ones which would have given the town a real boost. It's like that Nelson Square thing. They just seem to opt for the least imaginative and/or most boring. We always seem to be trailing behind as a poor imitation of other towns. Why can't we be the trend setters and really go for it?

Quote:

Originally Posted by b-sound

According to the Friends of Oak Hill Park the Bandstand will be rebuilt.
..........

The decision by the council to rebuild the bandstand has been made and forgotten about before.

So they could presumably still forget that they intend to rebuild it.