Latest on 'sorry saga' of Gosport's Criterion vision with criticism over consultants’ fees
Gosport’s council has been criticised for spending more than £260,000 on consultants fees on a venue it bought for £600,000.
Concerns have been raised over the plans for the Criterion building, which had been set to be a new cinema, theatre and live entertainment venue.
A closed doors meeting at Gosport Borough Council in July approved the first phase of restoration plans with a cafe set for the former cinema building’s annexe.
But councillor Philip Raffaelli (Con, Anglesey) said he has concerns about the spending and delays on the project.
He said: “Consultants Counterculture have again received a direct award to “further develop” the business case, taking their total payment up to £263,000.
“At the beginning of this sorry saga in 2022 we were told we would get a full business case within three to four months at a cost of £20,000.”
He added: “Rather than a full multi-purpose event centre which was promised for late 2024, they hope to open a “community cafe” (next year) seating 50 to 60 people at a cost of a further £1.4m in the “new” annex to the building.”
He said: “The old entrance won’t be used in what is now being called phase 1A. There is still no full business case with neither the next two phases being funded.
“And there is no third-party operator in sight to share costs or risks with the rate payers of Gosport.”
The council bought the Criterion building in Forton to create a new entertainment venue for the area in the hope grants would cover the costs – but it is now being funded by taxpayers’ money.
As reported by the Local Democracy Reporting Service in January, a report from the consultants involved and Gosport Borough Council officers agreed that even after refurbishment, the Criterion would make losses and the cost to keep it trading could fall to the taxpayer.
Cash spent on consultants is for technical designs, a structural survey of the building’s balcony, and a development and submission of the planning application for the development of the Criterion.
The first phase approved at the July 16 meeting will see restoration and re-opening of the ground floor annexe as a community cafe.
The original plans were to open the whole of the ground floor as a new cinema, theatre and live entertainment venue for more than 250 people.
The council said it will transform the building’s annexe into a “vibrant arts-led community cafe” with a flexible space for pop-up cultural events, a new bar, kitchen and toilets.
Leader of the council, Councillor Peter Chegwyn (Lib Dem, Forton) said: “It is taking longer than we would have liked but these things always do. Plans are moving ahead very smoothly with further announcements in due course.
“There’s a lot of work going on behind the scenes. The building is in remarkably good shape.”
The Criterion operated as a cinema and theatre until 1968 and was then a bingo hall until its closure in 2020.