Response to letter about concerns over Hadleigh town council's spending of taxpayers money.

Dear Hadleigh residents

It is sad that a 'concerned ' resident' is unhappy for Hadleigh Town Council to support a project to help young people to find employment. The council could not have offered a room in the Guildhall complex for this kind of use which requires a small, private room for interviews on a one to one basis. The Guildhall rooms are all large halls its few small rooms being totally used for the council's offices, and not very private.

The resident also seems to object to the council supporting the Guildhall complex with grants. During the Covid lockdown the subsidy was around £60,000 but the complex had no income whatsoever in that period. This and next year the proposed grant is much lower, around £40,000. However one must remember that the town council has its offices on the premises and pays no rent for them. Were the town council to find other accommodation in the centre, easily accessed by residents on foot, they would be likely to pay far more in rent than their subsidies to the building.

The buildings that compose the Guildhall complex have been the Hadleigh's civic centre for almost 600 years, plus being used over the centuries to provide accommodation for homeless residents, education including free education and the social centre for the town

In the middle of the 20th century the complex buildings were in a serious state of disrepair, and in the 1980's were closed for public use. The town council became the trustee in 1990 and have put the building back into good repair and reopened for their own and public use.

Our Guildhall is still owned and used by the people of Hadleigh, it is not a museum or private accommodation. Most of the building is grade One listed and of exceptional international) importance and sited with the church and Deanery Tower in a unique setting. Many small towns would be seriously envious of this complex.

I am sure that many Hadleigh residents feel as I do extremely proud that our town still has this exceptional building and being used for the town much as it has for almost 600 years. If one looks at the town council budget, which is all on line whether it was £60,000 or will be £40,000 is the resident saying that is too large a part of the £400,000, which our Council Tax will produce.

The resident asks if the use of the Council Tax to support the complex is good use of our money. Yes it is and in the long term a better use that renting alternative accommodation for the council and loosing such a prestigious building.

Jan Byrne.

*Jan Byrne is not a town councillor, nor official spokesperson for the town council. These opinions are entirely her own.