Richard Bigg

I feel that I've been saying it constantly for months and months and months, and it appears to have fallen on deaf ears because people are still telling me we're not committing to it. We have process. I have to say on the report, the report I know that Dan Jones will work extremely hard and quickly with the team that he's already put in place to provide that report.

I feel that I've been saying it constantly for months and months and months, and it appears to have fallen on deaf ears because people are still telling me we're not committing to it. We have process. I have to say on the report, the report I know that Dan Jones will work extremely hard and quickly with the team that he's already put in place to provide that report.

It then has to go through the procurement process. And the procurement process for a local government, just in case you're not aware, takes a minimum of 12 weeks. So that's three months. So we can't do much about that figure because that's set as a process that local government has to go through. So by the time you take that out, we're actually only giving Dan and his team...

It then has to go through the procurement process. And the procurement process for a local government, just in case you're not aware, takes a minimum of 12 weeks. So that's three months. So we can't do much about that figure because that's set as a process that local government has to go through. So by the time you take that out, we're actually only giving Dan and his team...

about six or eight weeks, about 240 hours, to produce a very complicated brief, ready for getting the right people in to rebuild the Harlequin, which we've said we want to do.

about six or eight weeks, about 240 hours, to produce a very complicated brief, ready for getting the right people in to rebuild the Harlequin, which we've said we want to do.

Maybe I should stop there and let you come back.

Maybe I should stop there and let you come back.

I do feel, Councillor Essex, you probably answered your same question there. Apart from throw loads of resources and get a second team, all the time we're actually focusing on sorting out... a temporary venue, we're not concentrating on getting the harlequin back.

I do feel, Councillor Essex, you probably answered your same question there. Apart from throw loads of resources and get a second team, all the time we're actually focusing on sorting out... a temporary venue, we're not concentrating on getting the harlequin back.

And with the threat of local government reorganisation coming up in two or three years time, the last thing I want to do is spend money and time doing a temporary venue and we get to the point where the minister has locked the safe and we can't deliver the theatre that I've promised.

And with the threat of local government reorganisation coming up in two or three years time, the last thing I want to do is spend money and time doing a temporary venue and we get to the point where the minister has locked the safe and we can't deliver the theatre that I've promised.

And I want to keep to my promises. I try to keep to them all the time. And therefore, I think our focus must be... particularly as as you said we don't know under a shadow authority and everything else what potentially can happen so we need to make sure that we've done everything possible to keep our eye on the goal really which is to reopen the Harlequin Theatre.

And I want to keep to my promises. I try to keep to them all the time. And therefore, I think our focus must be... particularly as as you said we don't know under a shadow authority and everything else what potentially can happen so we need to make sure that we've done everything possible to keep our eye on the goal really which is to reopen the Harlequin Theatre.

That's what we said right at the beginning we would aim to do and that's what I want to do. But I'm certainly happy to sit down and talk the options through but I genuinely do not want our team directed the wrong way when we have a goal. We need to meet that goal and everybody I've spoken to right from the early days of closing it has been quite clear

That's what we said right at the beginning we would aim to do and that's what I want to do. But I'm certainly happy to sit down and talk the options through but I genuinely do not want our team directed the wrong way when we have a goal. We need to meet that goal and everybody I've spoken to right from the early days of closing it has been quite clear

that their aim, what they want us to do, is reopen the Harlequin. So now, I've said we'll reopen the Harlequin, and we've put 10 million pounds in, they've now said, oh, now we want a three million pound temporary venue. You know, the focus has always been on getting the Harlequin reopened. That's where I've asked the officers to concentrate.

that their aim, what they want us to do, is reopen the Harlequin. So now, I've said we'll reopen the Harlequin, and we've put 10 million pounds in, they've now said, oh, now we want a three million pound temporary venue. You know, the focus has always been on getting the Harlequin reopened. That's where I've asked the officers to concentrate.

We have got the potential of doing a temporary option that could well become an additional performance space for the borough going forward. So I think there's a lot of positives in this and I really feel that this is constant on the temporary. We are looking at other options. We've already We've found another option for a 300 seat performance space that groups have been invited to.

We have got the potential of doing a temporary option that could well become an additional performance space for the borough going forward. So I think there's a lot of positives in this and I really feel that this is constant on the temporary. We are looking at other options. We've already We've found another option for a 300 seat performance space that groups have been invited to.