Oakham Town Council helps Victoria Hall in High Street with boiler

A town council that is bailing out a cash-strapped community hall might still move there for its meetings and administration.

Oakham Town Council's chairperson has confirmed a move to Victoria Hall in High Street is still on the cards.

At a full council meeting last night (Wednesday, March 12) the council approved a £12,742 grant from the Community Infrastructure Levy towards the cost of a new heating boiler for the hall.

The meeting heard that the contribution was not dependent on the council returning to the hall, which it vacated some years ago, but the chairperson has said a move out of the council's existing headquarters at ROL House in Long Row is still on the cards.

Coun Paul Ainsley said discussions about the council becoming a controlling trustee in the hall, which is managed by a charitable trust, have now been dropped.

He said: “That’s water under the bridge; that is not going to happen. We are still in talks with them about moving in."

He added that discussions were continuing about which rooms the council might use, and the lease agreement.

The council is currently in a six-month lease arrangement but Coun Ainsley said he is optimistic the move can happen within that time.

The 125-year-old hall has faced financial difficulties in recent months. The council gave it a £2,800 grant in the autumn to help tide it over after it lost some grant funding and rental income from tenants.

The latest £12,742 Community Infrastructure Levy grant comes from money received in Rutland from housing developers.

At the meeting it was also agreed to spend £1662.50 of the council’s UK Shared Prosperity Funding (UK SPF) on six new planters to assist Oakham in Bloom. The council must spend the £50,000 UK SPF it was awarded by the end of the month.

An application for a £2,200 grant by Oakham Memorial Institute for cleaning was declined, although the council will assess whether a clean is needed and if so, will pay for it.

A new policy for flag flying at Cutts Close was also approved, which has set out some national days on which flags will fly. The town council flag will also be flown at half mast when a local councillor dies, a serving MP or previous town mayor. Any group that wants a flag to fly for a particular reason will now need to apply to the council for permission.

Finally it was agreed to have a beacon-lighting to mark the 80th anniversary of VE day in May.