Poor local response to Town Hall

Press, 21 May 1981, Page 6

Poor local response to Town Hall

. Fewer local people are using the Christchurch Town Hall, Cr A. B. Harman has told the Town Hall Board. Cr Harman had written t< the board after last month’.meeting when hire charge were increased 20 per cer. . and. contributions by loca authorities 24.3 per cent. I» 'the letter he said he fel “despondent” after consider Mng the. budget for the year •!' ‘‘Christchurch has a ver fine/Tbwn Hall which wi) . protably lose , nearly $1 mil uori this year but which r being used less and less b> local people,” he said. In the letter he suggests several economies whic) could be made, in running th* . -Town' Hall,- including -reduc jng lighting, ’ allowing ' Vqlun' tary -ushers for docal . users', jlobking at the cost of running ihe.box office, and the cost Of toilet paper. He said the Town Hall could promote tours to raise funds.

- S When a meeting of the 'board yesterday considered •/the letter, Cr Harman said his letter had been written . but of concern rather than as a criticism. Meetings should consider general policies for the future 'which could involve some cost cutting. Commenting on Cr Harman’s suggestions, the manager of the Town Hall, Mr B.

P. Connell, said that steps had already been taken to cut the costs of lighting and toilet paper. The booking >ffice did not run at a loss nd had spin-off advantages. The board had already disussed the question of promoting both local and interational productions, he said. • On allowing local groups o use voluntary ushers, Mr lonnell said the union had iot agreed with the idea when it had been raised four rears ago. Staff reductions were made where possible, although safety requirements .lad to be met. He said that ushers were _>aid about s2o'each evening.- . Vhen the auditorium was ’.wo-thirds full, 26 front-of-louse staff were used. Cr R. W. Skjellerup said it was “nonsense” for unions to talk about protecting the ushers. Most were part-time and had other full-time jobs. (He said assistance should be given to local users by allowing them to use their own ushers. Training could be given for voluntary ushers. The chairman, Mr Hamish Hay, said voluntary ushers were used overseas. ’There was a difference between professional shows and the local groups which used the Town Hall. “I don’t see why we can’t come to some ami-

cable agreement to greater use of this facility W local people,” he said. ’ 1 Mr Connell said that lowil users already received per cent reduction / -'tl charges. ■ '.W He was looking at tern of using stewards rather than ushers. With directions' printed on tickets and clear seat markings, patrons could be encouraged to find their, own seats, a standard prats; tice in Europe and America. Car parking The Christchurch City Council has refused to contri". bute towards the cost ‘ofproviding more car parkins for the Town Hall. 8 After a meeting with members of the board, a council sub-committee decided that any proposal for i Town Hall car parking should be the responsibility of the Town Hall, including the land value and cost of development. The Town Hall has 70/ parking spaces in its existing ?ar park. Under the district scheme it is required to have 500 parks, although a recent survey showed the Town' Hall required only 350/ spaces.