The Friends of Insole Court
STABLE BLOCK SALE OPPOSED AT CONSULTATION MEETING Jan 27th 2009
There was a very good turn-out of nearly 100 people on a rainy night at the Bishop of Llandaff High School to consider the Council's proposals to sell off the Stable Block. It resulted in total rejection of the Council's proposals. The meeting was facilitated by the Council's Consultation Manager, and the case for the Council's policy was put by Cllr Nigel Howells and by Barbara Beedham, Operational Manager for the Department. The Friends had prepared a detailed document explaining their opposition, which was distributed to those attending the meeting. Our Chairman, John Prior-Morris took the meeting through the document which argued (a) the estate should not be cannibalised for the convenience of the Social Services Training Unit (b) the sale would not now raise sufficient funds to achieve this anyway (c) the ground floor now being open, and the house weatherproofed, the upstairs can be mothballed until more favourable times. Dr Richard Watson explained the importance of the Stable Block to the integrity of The Court and its new importance in the light of The Heritage Lottery grant to develop an historical interpretation centre. JP-M advanced proposals for developing the block to both improve the commercial viabity of the site and restore community capacity lost by the recent demolition of the Citizens' Hall.
The meeting discussed the matter for half-an-hour in small groups, after which their report-back recorded a total unanimity in opposition to the Council's policy and an endorsement of the FIC demand for a feasibility study aimed at finding a viable way forward (either in Council Hands or through some form of Community Trust) that would keep the stable block intact and available for community uses. We were told that the Consultation Manager will produce a report to the Council's Executive and that advance drafts of this report will be sent to those attending the meeting before this is submitted.
What the Council chooses to do in the light of this consultation is of course a matter for them; but as a Friends' organisation we are satisfied to have got the result we hoped for from the meeting and we have a strong mandate to continue to press the Council on this matter.