Penrith Town Council have called an extra ordinary meeting that will be held in private on Tuesday 16th January.
The extra ordinary meeting on the 16th of January the council has previously claimed cost £500 to hold, will be followed by a schedule town council meeting on the 29th of January when the council will set its budget and its increase to the Penrith council tax precept.
It has emerged the town council has called the private meeting that will exclude press and public to to endorse the councils Arts and Culture Business Case and agree governance arrangements for the council’s plan for spending £360,000.
In documents seen by or reporters, The spending on new signage in Penrith with a price tag of £240,000 to promote cycling and walking around the town and replace the current historical identifier signage that has formed part of the Penrith street-scene almost two decades.
The council will also discuss plans for using £120,000 to create around 590 sqm of building upgrades that makes up the rough internal area of the ground floor of the Playhouse building.
In the documents that have revealed the councils plans, The town council say that it believes “the playhouse premises are underused during the day and on many evenings and the Playhouse is far from fulfilling its potential as a cultural venue for Penrith.”
The council state they believe the building has scope to increase very considerably the number and range of events, audience and participants in artistic and cultural activity based at the Playhouse
The project funding the council are to consider in the private meeting will upgrade the facilities to make the Playhouse, a more attractive venue to visit for audiences.
Be able to host a wider range of cultural events and activities (such as dance performances, a wider range of music events and touring productions).
The project will also see a Bar and café refurbishment to make the Playhouse an all-day round venue for performers, artists and others based in Penrith (a “cultural hub”) and help attract more audiences.
With the report staying the town council expect this will double the number of days the playhouse is used for events and performances to at least two per week and at least a doubling of audiences from around 2,800 to over 6,000.
The council members will be told that on completion of the Playhouse project Penrith Players will own the assets the town council will be the accountable body responsible for the public money used during the project.
Westmorland and Furness Council are also working on plans to turn Penrith Town Hall into an arts and Culture venue including a café for holding performances, music events and touring productions some popup trial events have already taken place.
The Councils plans come as Penrith faces a rapid decline in the town centre with local businesses and banks announcing closures that will leave large parts of the towns retail space vacant.
Penrith Town Council have been asked earlier this week for comment on the private meeting and plans to for spending £360,000 on signage and upgrade work to the Penrith Players property. The town council has at time of publication failed to provided any responses.
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