Tuesday, 6 September 2011

Tenbury Regal - Management Trust is the future.




















Anonymous said...

Rental of £4,000 a year is far too cheap. Town Council used to get more than that from renting out the shops at the front.
A grant of £10,000 a year? Why should local people pay £200 a week to subsidise The Regal?
A proper event at the Regal might sell 200 tickets at £10 each. That's £2,000. Make the tickets £11 each and you don't need that £200 subsidy, if there is one proper event a week.
Town Council must not rush into anything or it will be another Tenbury disaster, like when they had the Regal heating boiler replaced with something that wasn't allowed, or when they had that replaced with an electric boiler, without realising that electricity is expensive.
Town Council has a history of making the decision before they know the facts.
This needs to be thrown open to commercial operators and event promoters. It also needs to be put to the people of Tenbury, as it is our money the Council is playing with.
The Regal should earn money for the town - not cost us money.

@WR15 said...

I agree with some of your comments, but remember it is currently costing local people nearly £20,000 a year.

The "rental" is to cover the long term debts for the loans past Town Council's have taken out for items such as the new boiler.

I think if the Regal was run in this way then, within a few years it would be in a position to be paying money to the Council.

This option is a "not for profit" company. A commercial company could be engaged to manage the site, but that would be much more expensive.

If the local organisations such as TADS, TAOS, Town Band etc where happy to increase their ticket prices and pay a "commercial" hire rate then the grant may not be needed, but the job of a Town Council is to raise a precept to provide amenities for the local public. If they were to follow your (very valid) line of thinking, then the Tennis Club should pay sufficient fees to cover all the costs of the courts, the bowling club should pay sufficient fees to cover the costs of the bowling green, the football club.... the rugby club.... etc.

The biggest danger here is the Town Council not agreeing to change and the Regal to continue being under used and making huge losses.

Rugby fan 72 said...

Chris is the closet we have to an expert in the field....has anyone else come forward with anything as remotely sensible.....

If he is willing to run the events, are the people of Tenbury happy to support them?

I have personally enjoyed a number of the "Chuckle Nights", not everyones cup of tea but there has certainly been full houses!

@WR15 said...

One the infrastructure is in place the Regal is an ideal venue for a whole host of shows. Chris has already proved that people are willing to travel to see a show and will also spring for accommodation as well. There are many touring companies who bypass the Regal because having to create their own box office and provide all their own house staff, refreshment sellers, technicians etc. is too much trouble. With the digital projector it would also be possible to have everything from the big boxing matches to opera and ballet beamed in, but again it needs the infrastructure in place.