Dorking Halls Safe

8.31.46pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 11th Jul 2008

Lib Dem Parliamentary Candidate Alice Humphreys (right) collecting signatures with District Councillors Margaret Cooksey, Tim Loretto & Paul Elderton

Mole Valley District Council agreed on 3 June to maintain the in-house management arrangements for the Dorking Halls thereby removing the threat of privatisation that has hung over the Halls for more than a year. The controlling Conservative Group had decided that it might be cheaper to hand the management of the Halls over to a private company or a trust and engaged in a costly exercise to find out how much money they might save. The answer was very little and they have now agreed to abandon the exercise.

Liberal Democrats have campaigned alongside many local user groups and concerned members of the public to ensure that the management of the Halls remained under democratic control. They were concerned that private management would ignore the requirements of the community in favour of making as much profit as possible from the venue.

Liberal Democrat District Council Group Leader, Councillor Margaret Cooksey, who organised a petition against the Conservative plan said, "I am relieved that the Conservatives have seen sense at last and listened to the local community. Without a determined effort by the community including all Dorking Liberal Democrat Councillors the Halls may well have passed from local control."

Liberal Democrat District Councillor Derrick Burt added, "I would like to thank all those who helped to keep the Halls safe. It proves once again that local Councillors working with the community can succeed in safeguarding our most valuable assets."