To receive any questions relating to items on the Agenda from members of the public and replies thereto.
Minutes:
Jeremy Salter, Tiverton Civic Society referring to Item 13 on the agenda (Motion 535) stated that:
Tiverton Civic Society fully supports the motion by Councillor Knowles. There is, especially in the Harrowby Papers, an enormous wealth of historical records available for Tiverton in the 18th & early 19th centuries. My own current reading of the 84 letters of Beavis Wood, Town Clerk for 41 years between 1765 and 1806, reveals that Tiverton, with a Royal Charter, was very proud of its status and was immensely loyal to the crown. Even when the finances of the council were, after 1780, in a shocking state, and the Charter Hall was in a ruinous condition, the royal portraits must have had a place of honour and the finance was found to acquire a fine new portrait of George III. In my view these pictures are just as much an important part of Tiverton’s heritage as all the other pictures which have been allowed to remain in their present locations.
Question 1
To what extent did those making the recommendation to remove the six pictures from the Town Hall research their origin and history, as well as the reasons why they are located in the Town Hall?
Question 2
As far as I am aware, none of these pictures has, in more than 200 years, ever been stolen or seriously damaged. In fact, because they are so easily traceable, pictures are amongst the works of art least likely to be stolen.
If Tiverton Town Council are prepared to fully insure, and provide the necessary security, for these paintings, is there any good reason to remove them?
Surely, pictures should be viewed! Storage is expensive, and if, as been suggested, sale of any of these pictures is being considered, the art market is very subdued, sale values are usually considerably below insurance values, and sale at a reputable auctioneer would cost at least 23% of the hammer price. Apart from reputational issues this really would be ‘selling off the family silver’ at bargain-basement prices!
The Committee Clerk read responses from the Head of Housing and Property Services:
In 1974 under the Local Government Act of 1972, the then Tiverton Borough Council handed over ownership of the Town Hall to Tiverton District Council, which later became Mid Devon District Council. No financial compensation was paid for this transfer and no details in respect of chattels, fixture or fittings are documented.
Officers together with the Councils’ Conservation Officer, with advice from Historic England gave consideration as to whether the pictures had or gave a particular reference to Tiverton and whether they fitted into the Civic function of the building. For this reason the six pictures were deemed not to be listed along with the building and therefore should not form part of the sale.
Officers have not carried out any other extensive research.
Considerations are being given to a proposal from Tiverton Town Council to enable the paintings to be loaned to the Town Council and remain in the Town Hall. Officers would need to ensure that suitable insurance and security considerations are met.
The Cabinet Member for Housing also stated that at an internal meeting held earlier in the week the meeting had agreed that the pictures should be loaned to the Town Council subject to the necessary insurance and security being maintained and that a legal agreement should be drawn up.
Honorary Alderman Mrs Rendle referring to Item 13 on the agenda spoke in support of Cllr Knowles Motion in that the pictures should remain in the Town Hall in Tiverton. Tiverton Town Council should not have to buy back what was already theirs. Many of the paintings have a direct relationship to the town and she identified individual pictures and their historical link to the town. She urged the Cabinet to please allow the paintings to remain in the Town Hall.
Mr Vanderwolfe (Tiverton Town Clerk) referring initially to Item 4 (Review of Street Cleaning) on the agenda asked whether the Cabinet were aware that although the report stated that we have increased our litter picking from 3 to 5 days a week, we are in fact litter picking 7 days a week, we are therefore giving even more value to Mid Devon. The pickers did use a barrow and we had sent some of the routes that we do to your waste department. We feel that partnership working should be encouraged and would be willing to take up any training that officers in the waste department can offer.
Referring to Item 13 on the agenda (Motion 535) he stated that he firmly supported Cllr Knowles motion, he had had a number of people come to see him and they had strong feelings that the painting should remain in the Town Hall.