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Look out for town hall tin shakers
(July 07, 2011)LOOK OUT FOR TOWN HALL TIN SHAKERS
CAMPAIGNERS say that a few significant last minute donations could make all the difference between success and failure in long-running battle to save an historic old town hall building in Warminster from oblivion.
Matters will come to a climax in the next three weeks with a public auction of the building so campaign group members will be shaking their collection tins in double quick time over that period to raise the maximum possible sum.
Warminster's 'Old Town Hall' goes up for auction at Bristol Zoo on 27 July with a guide price of £200,000 - but campaigners, the town's historic buildings trust, believe it could sell for far less because of the high liabilities involved for any commercial owner.
''We need to be able to cover as many bases as possible and to do this we need to raise as much cash as we can to buy the building outright, insure it and pay other essential costs,'' said trust spokesman cllr Chris March.
''The building slipped through our fingers in 1996 at an auction and this sale at Bristol Zoo could prove to be the last opportunity to save the building for the community for a generation.
''It would be very sad if we missed out on the chance to enhance the fortunes of the centre of Warminster for lack of a few thousand pounds.''
Once the grade 2 listed building has been purchased the charitable trust will be able to apply for grant aid from a wide range of private and government sources to help bring it into community use once more.
To bring the matter to public attention a poster appealing for donations has been produced and members of the campaign group and trustees will be on the steps of the town hall with their collection tins on regular occasions between now and the date of the sale.
CAMPAIGNERS say that a few significant last minute donations could make all the difference between success and failure in long-running battle to save an historic old town hall building in Warminster from oblivion.
Matters will come to a climax in the next three weeks with a public auction of the building so campaign group members will be shaking their collection tins in double quick time over that period to raise the maximum possible sum.
Warminster's 'Old Town Hall' goes up for auction at Bristol Zoo on 27 July with a guide price of £200,000 - but campaigners, the town's historic buildings trust, believe it could sell for far less because of the high liabilities involved for any commercial owner.
''We need to be able to cover as many bases as possible and to do this we need to raise as much cash as we can to buy the building outright, insure it and pay other essential costs,'' said trust spokesman cllr Chris March.
''The building slipped through our fingers in 1996 at an auction and this sale at Bristol Zoo could prove to be the last opportunity to save the building for the community for a generation.
''It would be very sad if we missed out on the chance to enhance the fortunes of the centre of Warminster for lack of a few thousand pounds.''
Once the grade 2 listed building has been purchased the charitable trust will be able to apply for grant aid from a wide range of private and government sources to help bring it into community use once more.
To bring the matter to public attention a poster appealing for donations has been produced and members of the campaign group and trustees will be on the steps of the town hall with their collection tins on regular occasions between now and the date of the sale.