Denbighshire County Council wants to reassure residents of Corwen that officers are continuing to work closely with the Corwen Pavilion Working Group regarding the demolition of this structure.
Last week, the council held open sessions to answer any questions or concerns about the planned demolition – a decision which has been been taken in full consultation with the Corwen Pavilion Working Group. The council has worked closely with this group over the past 6 months bringing in a number of officers from the county to look at issues relating to building design, cost and future funding.
Despite a small minority called “Pafiliwn y Bobl” still objecting to the structure’s demolition, the council does not believe that this group is representative of the Working Group.
Mike Jones, one of the Working Group members, said, “This was an ideal opportunity for Corwen to move forward and work together as a community to secure a new building.”
Another member said that, “the working group is taking things forward.”
Pafiliwn y Bobl state that the health and safety issues, which led to the closure of the Pavilion, can be repaired, despite the fact that an independent surveyor has said that the building is beyond repair and the surveyor acting for Pafiliwn y Bobl has agreed.
The main reason that the Pavilion is not economically viable for repair is the roof. The roof leaks which are clearly visible on the floor of the building require cladding replacement. In addition to this:
1. Any sealing or replacement of roof or walls to improve weather proofing would require building regulation approval – the existing structural frame and foundations will not sustain the additional load that would be imposed from materials needed to meet the standards of current regulations. (This was agreed by the Working Group’s structural engineer on his site inspection). To be compliant with today’s building regulations, this would cost approximately £500,000 which does not include any environmental costs for survey and flood prevention.
2. Existing foundations are deteriorating, visible from external and sub-floor inspection.
3. Wet rot, dry rot and furniture beetle infestation are in the structural elements of the building and need to be eradicated.
4. The heating system needs a complete reassessment due to asbestos, the condition of the old boiler and excessive carbon emissions.
5. Additional mechanical and electrical requirements are not included and will be required due to remedial work disturbance.
6. All surface and foul drainage works are not included in the budget costing.
Local councillor Huw Jones said, “The council has already acknowledged that over the past 10 years, it has not committed to the building as best it could have. Despite this, the council has spent £152,000 maintaining Corwen Pavilion since 1996. This cost has helped the building far exceed its anticipated lifecycle. However, the current situation is that we are working with the local community to find a sustainable solution for Corwen.”
The council also realises that it would have been good to be able to keep this iconic building until a business plan and funding had been secured. However, while the building sits empty there is a significant risk to the council and local community. In addition, the council cannot transfer the land back to the community with any liabilities, so the site needs to be cleared and made safe to allow the transfer to go ahead. The land will be transferred for its intended purpose, that is, for Welsh cultural events.
Jamie Groves, Head of Leisure, Libraries and Community Development, said, “The council remains fully committed to transferring the title of this land over to the community who will be required to set up a charitable trust. The next meeting of the Working Group will be in early 2011 when the council and the DVSC will be working with the group to set them up into a constituted body in anticipation of handing the land back to the community. We will support the newly constituted group to move forward to find the necessary funding for a sustainable building.”
Minutes and papers from the Working Group meetings are available to view at the One Stop Shop in Corwen.
