On 9 December Faverham Town Council resolved to pursue two options for the ground floor of No 12 Market Place whilst keeping the first floor for the council offices.
Essentially, the front part of the ex-shop will continue to be used as a community exhibition space and funding sought to transform the back room into a “heritage hub” to display the Magna Carta alongside other town charters.
Rather graciously, the current councillors have chosen not to publicly grumble about the financial black hole they inherited from ex-councillors Nigel Kay and Co, leaving a liability of nearly £1,500,000 on an asset of less than £600,000.
Clearly, the front part of the building will regularly be in demand by various organisations over the next year. What is not clear is whether extra funding can be secured by our cash-strapped Town Council not only for the creation of the rear exhibition space but also for the ongoing running costs.
The recent election-inspired hoo-ha (largely orchestrated by local Conservatives) about the sale of the Magna Carta will soon die down and anyway the Council are not at present considering such an action.
Perhaps in time a more considered and rational debate will be possible if the current plan fails to be realised.
