Mark Taylor, Deputy Head of Library & Resident Services, Communities Directorate explained that the current provider at the arts centre had been there for eight years and the council was looking at an opportunity for ensuring residents were getting best value for the investment for the building and the venue for the delivery of arts and also in terms of the annual sum paid to the provider.

A tender process had been agreed and a number of interested parties had come forward to submit a bid. Two potential providers were shortlisted and face to face meetings were held with them to find out what they proposed for the building and the arts programme. A contract was offered to Martin Denny Management Ltd who would be taking over the arts Centre in October 2017.

Martin Denny addressed the Forum and stated his company were in a position to need to rename the arts centre when they took over on 1 October 2017. Martin Denny Management had been operating for approximately 17 years and had operated Windsor Festival since 2001 in conjunction with many other partners. His company had worked on the bandstand opening and organised the first concert to play there. He added it was very exciting for Martin Denny Management Ltd to be taking on the arts centre in St Leonards Road.

The tender was for two and a half years which gave him a chance to see what they could do in that time; after which time the tender process would begin again. The current leaseholder was moving on in September 2017 and would be taking the name Firestation with them. Martin Denny Management Ltd would then move in and begin talks with those who wanted to continue to work and operate at the arts centre, in view of making it a smooth transition.

There was some maintenance of the building which needed to be carried out which the Borough was looking into and that work would be scheduled in with the least disruption possible. The intention was to honour the commitment to those currently using the building but it could mean that a full programme might not run straight away until things were settled.

The aim was to emphasise the importance of having an arts centre in Windsor to serve residents that would be used as much as possible and to offer a range of activities and groups moving forward. Things took time in scheduling and organising but the bar and café was seen as part of the aim of delivering activities. Martin Denny Management Ltd would be asking people for ideas of what they would like to see and it was a chance to develop the venue and what went on inside it. Martin Denny was not looking to translate Windsor Festival into the venue as they were a completely separate entity.

Martin Denny confirmed that it was unlikely he would be remodelling the inside of the venue but, with the Borough responsible for the maintenance of the building, that would be deferred to the Borough. Contact with existing users was being carried out by the current leaseholder who was requesting they contact Martin Denny and if a group wanted to make enquiries about starting to use the facilities, the should also contact Martin Denny. That helped with anyone wanting to move on with the current leaseholder. He added that the arts programme would be funded by ticket sales and he was hoping the arts centre would be busier and more engaging.

One resident said it was a great sorrow for the community to lose the building at the Ex-Serviceman’s Club site as it saw no interest. He added that it would take a lot of hard work to get the new arts centre up and running and successful. Martin Denny responded that he would be encouraging people to use the facilities, although they would need to pay their way. Schools could use it for rehearsal space or as an event space. The arts centre would respond to enquiries with times they could hire the venue as well as prices. He had taken into consideration that there were organisation that used the venue every week for years at a time and he encouraged them to continue. Others used the space for an occasional meeting for an hour and that would also continue.

Susy Shearer asked if another there would be another press release detailing what had been expressed at the Forum as there had been rumours that the centre would be turned into flats. Martin responded that there would be a press release and he was working towards being able to embellish was had been said at the Forum.

In response to being asked why the Firestation name that was so well known for that building could not remain, the Chairman confirmed that the current user of the building owned the name and they were taking it with them. Martin Denny stated the venue at one point had also been known as the old court building. Residents requested that Martin Denny engaged with Windsor 2030 group; Marjorie wanted to know what Martin Denny could learn from the current user of the arts centre. Martin Denny responded that it was a balance which would help professional events being booked which provided more income to provide further events which often required a subsidy. He added that what he could learn from Dan was the difficulty of running arts programmes. He always had to think about how he was going to pay for events and it was a difficult conundrum. This had led the previous leaseholder to do things in a certain way to keep the centre going. The bar was vibrant with a DJ and that was probably the sort of thing Martin Denny wanted to continue to do. In his view, the more he engaged with groups, residents and potential acts, the more people were likely to visit. The way the Firestation ran the bar was very appealing and a strength of the venue.

Susy Shearer stated that Windsor was a very diverse community and she felt what Martin Denny was offering was doing well to reflect that. Martin Denny stated he was aware that because trading would continue, some of the work they had done such as comedy, they were looking to take with them, he did not want to replicate that as he did not want to get in the current leaseholders way. The Deputy Head of Library & Resident Services, Communities Directorate confirmed he had met with the current leaseholder and he had indicated that he was likely to keep the Firestation brand in Windsor and possibly tour with the brand. Cllr Quick wished Martin Denny Management well in their future endeavours.