Councillors getting restless over Pavilion

COUNCILLORS have expressed their concerns about the delayed De La Warr Pavilion refurbishment programme.

Comments ranged from a plea for members to back the officer team in their negotiations to a suggestion that the best solution would be to push the pavilion into the sea - an idea the speaker was later at pains to explain was tongue-in-cheek.

Monday's meeting of Rother district services overview and scrutiny committee received a written report from director of services Tony Leonard.

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Pavilion work was supposed to have started in the Summer. But initial tenders for refurbishment came in over budget. The specification for the work has now been scaled-down. Mr Leonard warned that if fresh tenders also came in over budget further delays would ensue while negotiations were carried out with contractors.

Meanwhile, the De La Warr Pavilion Charitable Trust, to which running of the building has been transferred by Rother under the terms of the 6m Lottery grant, now seeks an early transfer of the building and ownership of the capital project.

There is also an issue over the amount of VAT payable on the project.

Councillors are concerned that Rother should not be drawn into any further financial commitment other than the already-agreed five-year commitment to contribute towards revenue.