30 Public workers to lose jobs
Friday 30th January 2009, 11:30AM GMT.
Thirty workers are set to lose their jobs at the controversial £63 million Black Country arts centre The Public, it has been revealed today.
The Public Gallery Limited, responsible for delivering the interactive exhibition area that remains closed inside the West Bromwich venue, is set to be wound up.
The latest blow comes after principal funder the Arts Council threw out new business plans for the troubled building this week.
In a letter leaked to the Express & Star, Sally Luton, regional executive director for the Arts Council, confirmed the body is seeking “an orderly wind down and/or solvent liquidation of Public Gallery Limited,” if it can be achieved at a cost to the Arts Council of around £200,000. The company was formed just over two years ago in November 2006.
However, it is now folding after the Arts Council threw out the latest business plans. Claire Fudge, spokeswoman for the Arts Council said: “On top of £1.5 million over three years the gallery asked for an additional £3 million from 2011 – a 300 per cent increase.”
Meanwhile, voters in an Express & Star poll today revealed they would like to see the building turned into a swimming pool.
Nearly a third said they wanted baths set up inside the building after it emerged that Sandwell Council has been asked to put together a new business plan. A quarter suggested that the centre should be razed and replaced with something new.
Council chiefs and centre bosses say they would not have been given funding for a pool or leisure centre in its place because the cash handed out for the project was reserved for the arts.
Three per cent of the people surveyed would like to see the council push ahead with the original plans for the interactive gallery on the upper floors, which is yet to open to paying customers. More than a fifth want to see some arts on offer at the building.
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great idea convert it in to a leisure pool,then throw all the spineless councillors in it just before they fill the pool up with water,and as for the councillor saying the money would’nt have been given for a pool only a white elephant arts centre easy problem solved put some art work on the walls next to the pool,roll on may elections lets hope the good folk of sandHELL vote this corrupt lot out.
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I agree that making it a Swimming Pool would be a really good idea!
It would bring money in!!!
I don’t think anyone in West Bromwich ever wanted this building.
Listen to the people of West Bromwich!!
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the truth is they do not know what to do with this stupid building me and my wife went to the small theatre in sedgley last night to watch a local shool perform hairspray what a good night it holds approx 300 people at £5 each £1500 this what the public should be about not arty farty things the people of west brom are not ready for these things no disrespect intended but they want something down to earth it should have been a theatre in the first place and for far less money
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Swimming pool great!!!!! but a purpose built one would be more cost effective. Funders always want the unusual to fund, a bog standard leisure centre or swimming pool would be fantastic for the general public but not novel enough for them. That’s why the “public” got it’s funding nothing to do with the people of West Brom’s needs.
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They are getting rid of the wrong ones!!!!!! It’s the hundreds of useless councillors, who have made a fortune in expenses out of this fiasco that should be sacked.
And when is Sandwell Council’s regeneration chief Councillor Bob Badham, going to declare that there is going to be a public enquiry into why the wishes of the electorate were ignored? And why Sandwell’s Labour Council went ahead and built this abortion?
Also I want them to publish exactly how much each councillor has had of our money while planning this, and finally, why were so many meeting held in private behind closed doors?
Jim of Bearwood.
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Swimming pool – that’ll be about £120 million to find then.
You’d probably find Travelodge or the equivalent chain have a better idea on how to convert the shell of a building into a hotel that is a revenue making asset.
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Local Authority run leisure centres struggle to break even financially so a swimming pool is not a viable option: That’ll just be throwing good money after bad. The Public should never have been built in the first place.
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Why convert it to a swimming pool when surely it will be far cheaper to build a purpose built swimming pool somewhere else?
Why are E&S readers so stupid that they don’t realise that a bespoke arts building and a swimming pool have very little in common? Ever realised that a swimming pool needs totally different engineering and design?
Are you really, really this ignorant?
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Hope the man in charge of the knitting club does not lose his job !!!
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Hmmm yes…
I wonder who thought that West Bromwich needed a great big ugly useless “Cultural centre/ gallery/ pointless space” this is West Bromwich not brum or the big smoke (That`s London by the way)
We don’t get impressed by this kind of forced rammed down your throat fun! “This is culture and YOU WILL LIKE IT” sorry no!
How about spending some money on replacing the window sills on the town hall, they crumble in your hand “you too can take away a piece of the town hall”
I really wonder who thought we (The People) needed this…..this……thing in our town.
I would like to know when people sat down and thought “the people of west bromwich will love this, and if they dont we will not stop we will not falter in our quest to shut them up” (cue maniacal laughter)
Here is the crux of the matter, we in West Bromwich were never ever meant to go in there.
This was nothing more than an advert for the Architect and the “lovies” who wanted it built.
To the people that thought this was a good idea, I have a question for you…
“Are you really, really this ignorant?”
Fools.
Buckets on the floor in the rain? say no more.
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Whoever supported this white elephant wants kicking out.
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Rebecca said
WHY ARE E&S READERS SO STUPID THAT THEY DON’T REALISE THAT A BESPOKE ARTS BUILDING AND A SWIMMING POOL HAVE VERY LITTLE IN COMMON? EVER REALISED THAT A SWIMMING POOL NEEDS TOTALLY DIFFERENT ENGINEERING AND DESIGN?
ARE YOU REALLY, REALLY THIS IGNORANT?
Rebecca your absolutely right, how could we be so stupid? After all we are only peasants here in the Black Country, what would we know? Of course buildings can never be converted or utilised for more than one use!!!!!!!!
The disused Battersea Power Station seen from the north bank of the Thames, The Grade II listed structure is being converted into a commercial and entertainment complex.
Old Farmhouse barns are never converted in housing!!!!!!
Today, the ocean liner Queen Mary is retired from cruising and permanently docked in Long Beach, California. She has a new life now, as a unique hotel.
Old Lighthouses are always demolished, they never get converted :
Our next project is to convert the Principle lighthouse keeper’s cottage into a shop and cafe for visitors to the lighthouse tower
We also have plans for the other two lighthouse keepers’ cottages; we are applying for funding to convert them into luxury self-catering holiday accommodation which will be let through the National Trust.
How stupid of us to think that that a building could have more than one use, we bow to your superior intellect Rebecca.
Jim Gull, Bearwood.
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A swimming pool? Have the people who make such suggestions even seen the building? It has a tiny footprint, you would just about squeze a 25 meter pool in there. And even then the people would have to change outside!
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I’d certainly vote for putting people who think that you can retrofit a swimming pool into an existing building to be put in charge. They sound competent, experienced in building management, and not at all small minded NIMBY types who think that a picture of dogs playing pool is high art.
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Having read a lot of bad press about The Public I decided to pay a visit and make up my own mind about it, as a concept and as a building. I emailed them, using the email address on their website, to enquire about their weekend opening times and what there is to see inside the building. When, after 5 days I hadn’t received an answer I decided to visit anyway; a round trip of about 60 miles. From the outside the building is very striking; the back (Queens Square side) is amazing as there are two “pods” made from shiny metal. Inside the building on the ground floor there’s a bar, toilets and a theatre. The security guard stopped me from looking into the theatre, even though nobody was using it. When I asked if there was anything else to see she said no. I asked what was upstairs and she said it wasn’t open. I explained that I hadn’t even received the courtesy of a response to my email and she explained that in 20 minutes time all the staff at the reception area (about 6 people) would be redundant: They’ve all lost their jobs. I spoke to these people, some of whom said that they had given up good jobs to work there. Their passion for the concept and the building was evident and they appeared to be understandably upset at the way they had been treated. Overall I was extremely disappointed: The whole trip was a waste of time as there is nothing to see inside the building, other than the toilets and the bar (which is surrounded by glass; great if you’re a goldfish!).
I have not been to West Bromwich before and when I walked through the High Street I couldn’t believe the Council have spent nearly 20 million pounds on this building when the High Street is literally falling apart; the paving slabs are uneven and cracked and some of the parapets to the 1960s buildings look like they are falling away. The market stalls bear banners merrily proclaiming “Sandwell Council wishes you a Merry Christmas”!! It’s February tomorrow!! Why on earth haven’t these signs been removed, or have they put them up early for next Christmas? The market area was filthy and the amount of litter and rubbish lying around was incredible. Not a good first impression: To be quite honest I thought the whole town was very dirty. If I lived in Sandwell I would be extremely angry about the use of my Council tax on this project when West Bromwich town centre appears to be going to rack and ruin.
I cannot understand why Councillor Badham thinks the project is a success: 20 million pounds for a bar and toilets (and a theatre that you’re not even allowed to put your head round the door and look at) is utterly ludicrous. So there we are; I’ve seen it for myself and I’ve formed the opinion it is a waste of money, a white elephant, Sandwell’s Millenium Dome.
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Hi Jim G,
Wasn’t online for a few days and didn’t think my message got put up.
I’d like to point out that I’m from the ‘general public as you term it’ my parents grew up in West Brom and Smethwick, my extended family still live here and I work here and no it’s not in The Public Building, all assumptions aside that anyone saying anything that isn’t along the lines of put in a swimming pool must mean they can’t be from round here. I’m not by any means suggesting yopu shouldnt have a voice, just that quite often people say things that are ill informed and if its not worth saying you really should let go of the bone and not bother.
The suggestion that you could use Tipton Leisure Centre is valid, Gala baths will close if not used enough, there is no incentive to repair then and is quite possibly part of the wider regen of west brom. I travel all over the borough on a daily basis and am aware of the distance to get there, so based on your argument if there was one in west brom no-one would come anyway due to the fees to get in and the travel costs to get there. I’m sure your parents would point out as do mine that they managed on much the same as basic beenfits and would travel on several buses to get places without a car with three kids in tow, and would walk the seven miles just to get to school when they were kids . Maybe the walk to such venues would help with the health issues in Sandwell.
As for accepting the building’s existance, demolishing it would be a bigger waste of money and would only serve self satisfied naysayers to see it happen. So I would re-iterate in saying accept it is there, you can’t miss i, it’s a big black and pink box.
Pretty much every council created concrete ugliness in the 60′s but that can’t be blamed for a decline in the type of high street shops open, supermarkets and primark have a bigger hand to play in the decline in markets and high streets but when it gets to this point you need a catalyst to re-inject investment and whether you like it or not The Public did that.
The Public seems to have been been a victim ill timing in many of its problems which stem from bankrupt architects who get hailed as a Guru by the express and Star rather than the start of all the big issues. Based upon everything I’ve read and been informed upon public consultation was taken into account form the design of the building to the gallery artworks with local schools and arts council funding wasn’t going to give you your swimming pool.
Just a Nod to Geoff who mentions that it should hsve been a theatre space, it has one I’ve been to events in there, it has been used by local groups putting on talent shows etc but I would say that it definately hasn’t done that enough and until it opens it doors for more community groups to access it as was intended originally then it will never work. Many of its FREE events just aren’t aimed at local people…I dohn’t know about anyone else but all there seems to be on is Jazz and Blues and that isn’t my cup of tea. The again they turned the theatre space into a cinema and had free showings of old classics and newer kids films but I don’t think anyone turned up even though it was FREE. Maybe that’s down to bad marketing and ill informed reception staff who couldn’t tell me whether I needed a ticket or clarify which out of the two different times I’d been told the showing was which was correct.
The latter is the problems you should be moaning about, as the case with Neil who was not contacted. Go in and see it for yourself, or go to a free event and then make up your mind, once you becoem more informed as Neil did.
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