After much public outcry, the Conservatives have said they have listened to the residents of the District on the ill conceived Asset Delivery Programme (ADP). At a meeting of Full Council on the 2nd December 2021, Councillors were given a choice of two options for the future of the Mill Hall Site
To set out two options for Members to consider following public feedback
received from the engagement exercise on the Mill Arts & Events Centre site.
The options being:-
1) to note the ‘Revised Scheme’ for The Mill Arts & Events Centre site set out
in paragraph 3.4 (Exempt Appendix 1), or
2) to revisit the Council’s requirements for the Mill Arts & Events Centre site
and agree that a separate Outline Business Case (to include a full options
analysis) be undertaken and presented to Council for approval at a later
date.
However, there was NO mention of Rayleigh’s Civic Suite! This has been ‘bundled’ in with the rest of the sites and moved swiftly towards the planning stage without further ado.
Both James & Chris spoke against the report that they were presented with as it’s clear the Conservatives have selective hearing – they say they’ve listened but they have only presented an option which may or may not save Mill Hall. The Civic Suite has been omitted from consideration and the Mill Hall is far from saved in our opinion.
The public should not be fooled by the Conservatives with this play for time – until there are concrete plans for the future of the Mill Hall then there is no certainty. We know this site is the ‘golden goose’ to fund the project so we are sure it’s not off the table.
As for the Civic Suite, it looks as the only reprieve we could see is through the planning process and this, as residents already know, is heavily stacked in favour of developers.