Alderley Edge Parish Council has agreed to spend up to £5000 to improve the acoustics of the Festival Hall ahead of the Alderley Edge Festival which is only three weeks away.
As reported on alderleyedge.com last month, the Parish Council is working to raise an additional £140,000 to complete works to the recently refurbished Festival Hall. As a result of their fundraising effort they have received a donation of £5000 from a local resident which the Parish Council has decided to use to address "a pressing need to improve the acoustic of the Festival Hall".
The problem is that the interior of the refurbished Hall has very little sound absorbent material. It is likely that the seats, window panels and upper stage at the back of the old Hall provided some sound absorbency in the past.
An acoustics expert has visited the hall and produced a written report. She has modelled the acoustics in the hall with 100 and 200 people in it, simulated how the sounds would work and then come up with recommendations as to how they can improve the acoustics.
Two solutions were presented, the first being acoustic blinds but Councillor Hall explained these tend to be very heavy and are quite hard to come by. The alternative is to use panels which are put on the wall. The proposal is to use these panels to fill the gaps between the windows and place a large panel above the bar.
Speaking at the Parish Council meeting on Monday, 11th April, Councillor Geoff Hall said "It is the most effective way we can do it quickly and cost-effectively."
Councillor Hall explained "The critical factor here is the reverberation time. For the kind of performances that the Hall lends itself to, ie those involving music and speech - both amplified and non-amplified - the ideal reverberation time is 1.0 to 1.7 seconds. The current space has a reverberation time of 2.5 seconds - with no people in the Hall.
"The addition of the acoustic panels will reduce that to around 1.7 seconds and adding 100 people in the Hall will bring it down to around 1.1 seconds - well within the range. As soon as funds allow we will also install blinds to the windows, which will also provide some further sound absorbency."
He added "The decision as to how far to go with acoustic improvements needs to be driven by the Business Plan for the Festival Hall. Ideally such a plan would have been in place before any work was carried out on it, but I am not aware of any such Plan ever being produced at that time. Certainly none was handed over to the current Parish Council. We started work on a Plan for the Hall some months ago, but work required on financing the Festival Hall and the Medical Centre and project-managing it - as well as developing car parking plans - have since taken priority. It is now back and high on our agenda.
"These matters can be put right - with the support and goodwill of the community. We are fortunate in having some excellent professional input from local residents on the Festival Hall Advisory Committee, and we are very grateful to them.
"We have also received a donation of £5000 from a local resident, which will allow us to get on with installing the panels. We will need a similar amount again to install the blinds. We are working hard to see if we can get panels installed in the next 3 weeks ahead of the Music Festival. It will be tight."
Councillor Geoff Hall also gave a report on the Festival Hall and Medical Centre at the Parish Council meeting. He explained that they will have full use of the car park by the end of the week, in the meantime parking spaces are marked by temporary signs.
They also have a number of expressions of interest in the second floor where they have spent over £60,000 to get it in a lettable condition - money which Councillor Hall explained was not included in the budget they inherited. This work has included installing toilets, plastering and decorating walls, screening the floor, installing lighting, and heating.
Councillor Hall also spoke about the hospitality suite, which is located alongside the entrance to the hall.
He said "My hope is this is the last meeting we will have to hold in the kitchen but the next time round we will be in the hospitality suite which is due for completion at the end of this month. That will provide us with a really good space for smaller groups."
Comments
Here's what readers have had to say so far. Why not add your thoughts below.
Since the present incumbants have always refused to produce a list of works with costings, to compare with the list of the previous parish council, it is 'a bit rich' to try to conceal lack of thought by the present mob by ignoring the 11 months that the present mob have been in power.
An accoustic expert has been brought in. Pity that didn't happen at the start instead of at the end. Cost of?
So 'they' haven't been able to concentrate on a Plan for the Hall eh? Oh Dear, Oh Dear. There are 9 councillors, after all.
So there wasn't a Plan to inherit eh? Perhaps because the whole thing was still being thought out?
Come on AE1st, man-up. Everybody can make mistakes. Just say sorry and get on with it !
The expert's report made the general observation that the extent of any acoustic improvement should be driven by the Business Plan. My comments were led by that.
Coming from a business background, I would have expected a business case to have been made before the Festival Hall was taken over several years ago. That document should then have been refined and developed (and consulted on with residents and local groups) to create a full Business Plan. This should have been done over the following years - long before work started and money was spent on the redevelopment.
To suggest that the current 9 Parish Councillors should have drawn up such a plan in under 11 months - alongside managing the Medical Centre build and Festival Hall refurbishment - when that had not been done over the several preceding years, seems extraordinary.
The more important point in the article seems to have been missed:
A resident has donated £5,000 of their own money to fund the acoustic improvements because they want to play their part in the success of the Festival Hall and the Music Festival.
A group of other local residents are giving their time and technical skills to sort out the problem.
These are people giving of their money and time to sort out problems, rather than just stand by talking.
Our approach in all these matters has been to report as factually as possible on the situation. It is important that our fellow residents understand the full extent of the exceptional challenges we have faced as a PC and that we all continue to face as a community.
My impression is that increasing numbers of people 'get' this. There is no easy way to avoid pointing out why some of these problems have occurred, especially when they result from poor planning. If that pricks some already bruised egos I regret it. That is not our intention.
We have already published a lot of information about this project, and we have always invited correction from anyone who has evidence to show that we have got something wrong. Up to now that has not happened, but the invitation always stands.
We will in due course publish a report on the project. This will set out the costs, but more particularly it will highlight what we as a Council and as a community need to learn from mistakes made.
I don't think anyone's case is enhanced by referring to Councillors as a "mob" or calling on them to "say sorry" or to "man up". This is a village community, not the House of Commons, and we are residents, not politicians.
Fortunately acoustics can be retrofitted, but aspects such as lighting could be more challenging. Nonetheless I am confident that we will get it sorted, as several local residents with the necessary architectural and building skills have come forward and are providing us with fantastic support. That team met again last night and we identified a solution to the acoustics problem that we believe we can (fingers crossed!) get in place ahead of the Music Festival.
Sorry its taken 7 days, I've been away.
1. He writes above that he would have expected a 'business case would have been made', before the Festival Hall was taken over (by the then parish Council).
Let us re-visit those 'ancient of times'. Back then the Hall was owned by M.B.C. (Macclesfield Borough Council). They had not maintained the Hall; it was not quite gone to 'rack and ruin' but close. In January 2008, MBC issued a document entitled 'Building Condition Survey' on the Hall. It comprised a list of Works together with their costings. The total building cost was £334,933. (convert that into today's price if you wish).
Subsequently the then P.C. bought the Hall from M.B.C. for £1, along with a financial dowry from M.B.C. to the P.C. of £450,000. Not a bad business case?
2. He writes above that a 'full Business Plan' should have been produced. If you are curious, use a search engine to see what a 'full' Business Plan entails. I had to do that back when. It runs to many pages of documents and some of the requierments would have to involve hiring in experts.
Let us look at this from a different perspective! Consider the hall as a small business. Even with the large % increase in precept about to 'hit' you, the income is relativly modest. So most of the income is fixed. The other income is mainly profits from the hiring of the Hall. Also most of the expense is known/fixed i.e. salaries, utilities, insurance etc.
So is a business plan actually needed?
Perhaps we need to clearly distinguish between a Business Plan and Accounts?
3. The good Councilor writes above that the present P.C. have not had time to draw up a Business Plan, in only 11 months. So be it, but was there such a rush to start on the Hall such that there was no time to develop any Business Plan.
This may mean that there is no Business Plan re. parking sites or re. developing the park. This causes me little or no worry as I have my aforementioned doubts as to whether a Business Plan is actually needed. But there is just a hint of having cake and eating cake!
I am surprised that you have not noticed that you are pretty much a lone voice on here by now, criticising the current Parish Council and vociferously (but ineffectively) defending the previous Parish Council.
Councillor Hall and the rest of the current Parish Council could not, from my perspective, over the last 11 months have been more gracious and less point-scoring than they have been. I think by now the full picture of what they inherited is plain to see for all who follow this site. The fact that you do not appear to have a clear grasp of either what a Business Case is or, indeed, a Business Plan is, perhaps illustrates some of the challenges the current Parish Council have had to wrestle with. You don't seem to comprehend that a Business Plan (and, indeed, a Business Case) should have preceded any agreement that the previous Parish Council should have made, in terms of either purchasing the property on behalf of the village (whether for £1 or £1M), and subsequently committing to refurbishment. In spite of these monumental challenges, the current Parish Council have succeeded in delivering what would, in many people's eyes, be seen as 'The Impossible'. A medical centre (on time) and a Festival Hall (on time). I take my hat off to them.
In addition to this, they have delivered on their promise to consult and deliver recommendations on the parking issue. I have absolute faith that they will continue the dialogue with the community on this subject, as they promised and as they have done so far.
On a separate, but not altogether unrelated note, I happened to drive my 86 year old mother to the Alderley Edge Medical Centre last week for an appointment. I was delighted to see two things: 1) People working on the Hayes Lane allotments in the sunshine and 2) at least 50% of the parking spaces around the Medical Centre/ Festival Hall building empty.
Like I said, I raise my hat to the current Parish Council.
did I miss you? Ummm !
As you were polite enough to 'answer' me, the least I can do is to respond to you.
I do not however intend to re-hash all that Councillor Hall wrote, what I wrote or what you wrote. Perhaps the odd point to make.
1. You write above that I am a lone voice when I point out something. If you read all the entries on this site, it would seem clear that not only am I far from being a lone voice, I am also one of the more polite commentators !
2. Business Case or Business Plan or, while we are at it, a Business Model. Such terms have been around since the 1700's and so more or less any definition will fit. As you know, I believe that banging out Business Plans/Models/Cases is more a question of 'fun' for the Management Wonks.
However since you raised the matter:
a) Councillor Hall wrote that the 11 months since the good electors of Alderley Edge put their trust in AEFirst was not enough time to produce a Business Plan for the Festival Hall. The 9 Councillors having been too busy so to do.
He did somehow overlook the estimable Hall Manager and the estimable Parish Council Clerk.
FYI a well run Parish Council should have Councillors debating, to produce policies, which are then handed to the Clerk to put into effect. I know that as some other P.C. Chairs expresed astonishment that 'we' former Councillors ran around doing the 'hard labour' ourselves!
b) Do you know whether there are any actual Business Plans, re. Alderley Edge parish, in existance? Is there for example a Business Plan re. the proposed car parks?
If there are, do you think that they should be put into the public domain? So that those who will (one way or another) pay up, can see the plans?
3. You seem to 'mock' the purchase of the Festival Hall (for £1) and you fail to mention the £450,000 dowry that C.E. had to come up with, to the parish Council. Can you not give some credit where credit is due?
4. Now a touch of picky-picky. The current parish Council have not produced a Medical Centre and a Festival Hall. They have completed the work begun earlier. Congratulations to them for that, but please don't 'big it up' too far.
5. You note that 'at least 50%' of the Hall's parking spaces were empty, as you drove past. Does that mean that you think there is no need for an increased car park at the Hall? Just asking!
Enough I think.
As this topic has slipped onto page 2, it is possible that only 'thee 'n me' will read it. So unless there is a pressing need, I won't count it against you if you are too busy to prolong matters.
Have a nice day.
I can see that you have very little experience in matters of business or management. Or indeed any respect for due process. I find this is at odds with the fact that you have, in the past, held directorships. Then I see that those directorships were relatively short and the picture starts to clarify itself.
I held a directorship in a property development company ... 3 partners ... decisions were taken either 'down the pub' or during a meal in one of Rusholme's splendid Asian restaurants ... you do it your way and I'll do it my way ... when exactly were you collecting your O.B.E. for services to business?
Could you answer my query about whether there are Business Plans extant re. the car parks etc. Will you join in asking that they be put into the public domain?
Cheers.
Did you also take the same relaxed approach when you were a director and Chair of the Governors at Hulme Hall School. Isn't Google wonderful.
in the 4 years before the Governing body of which I was Chair, the school had a trading loss of circa £500,000. Including a loss, in the last year of circa £200,000.
The school was heading for bankrupcy.
In the first full year of our charge, we reduced the annual loss from the circa £200,000 to 'only' £80,000.
In our second full year we made a profit of circa £200,000 and in out third full year we made a profit in excess of £200,000.
The school was saved. A proud piece of work!
If you wish to 'get involved' then for pete's sake get your facts straight. Otherwise you come accross as a bitter and twisted manikin.
Actually I agree with Jon, stop looking for non-existant smears i.e. backstabbing.
You still have not answered my query as to whether there are Business Plans and whether you agree that if they exist, they should be in the public domain. This is about whether the public should be able to view plans/intentions. Why not?
Please give your opinion about today's matters. If the Business Plans are so important (the fact that I disagree does not matter) then let the public share in them?
As a support of that, I'll stop asking where are the Business Plans.
I agree with you that it would be only right for us to thank the generous donor; of course, s/he may have requested to remain un-named, but it would be nice to say thanks face-to-face as it were ?
I totally agree with you.