Belgrave Hall & Gardens should stay open, says Community Meeting

28th November, 2012

Last nights Community meeting of Belgrave and Latimer wards voted overwhelmingly to keep the Hall and Gardens open.

We have been told that Belgrave Hall and Gardens have been closed by the City Mayor. However the consultation period has been extended after it was realised that no one in the local community had been asked for their views. It seemed like yet another arbitrary decision, however many of us who live in Belgrave, and beyond hope there will be a rethink.

The newly formed Belgrave Conservation Society is also to be consulted and the Assistant Mayor, Cllr Piara Singh Clair, has agreed to attend. I had a very helpful meeting with him last week in which he agreed to consider how else the £40,000 might be found to keep the Hall and Gardens open to the public. (The briefing note for the City Mayor makes this clear. The total cost is approx £169,000 but only £40,000 is saved by closing it to the public).

Belgrave Hall and Gardens are much loved by everyone who visits them, and particularly by the local community. They are a haven of tranquillity in the heart of a busy city and were sold to the City Council in 1936. The Hall is unique in being the only complete Queen Anne house of its type that is open free of charge to the public in our city.

Many of us believe the Hall and Gardens have a great future and should not be closed. If a simple tea rooms was opened in the as in the Barn at Donington Le Heath, I am sure most of the £40,000 to keep it open could be raised. The Kitchens and facilities are there thanks to a recent investment of £350,000 and building works costing £573,000 and are waiting to be used.

Visitor numbers are good ranging between 16-21000 making the cost around £2 per visitor, this is not more than other museums. Its a pity that over the last year the Hall has been run down, with rooms closed.

It seems particularly daft to close the Hall and gardens at a time when after many years plans are under way to bring the Georgian Belgrave House back into use. The Mediaeval Church of St Peter could soon be developed as well.

I along with many others hope the local community will be listened ro and that the Hall and Gardens will stay open.

 

 

 

 

 

 

ps

I was reminded that recently there was an attempt to close Belgrave Hall, Abbey Pumping Station and Jewry Wall and some of us came up with an alternative to avoid these cuts, listen to my interview at the time on Radio Leicester: Museums cuts Radio Leicester 8.2.11

The approach now seems to pick off Belgrave Hall first.