Gas lamp solution found? (From Malvern Gazette)

Gas lamp solution found?

8:00am Thursday 9th September 2010 in News

LOCAL councils are set to consider a proposal that could provide a solution to the funding crisis facing Malvern’s historic gas lamps.

The future of the gas lamps had seemed uncertain since Malvern Hills District Council announced its intention to withdraw its £18,000 - approximately 50 per cent - contribution towards the cost of running the lamps.

This would have left Malvern Wells and West Malvern parish councils and Malvern Town Council to pick up the entire bill - a prospect they did not believe was realistic.

However, proposals to upgrade the gas lamps with support from MHDC have been discussed in the last week and are now awaiting consideration by the authorities involved.

The improvements would see dated time clocks upgraded so the lamps no longer need winding every week, substantially reducing maintenance and running costs and removing the need for MHDC subsidy.

Coun Ralph Madden, responsible for resources at MHDC, explained that the town and parish councils would have to meet a proportion of the capital costs themselves, with each being offered a loan to cover the balance.

The upgrading will cost just under £200,000 in total and each council is being offered a settlement based on its particular resources.

Malvern Town Council will be asked to pay 50 per cent of the cost to upgrade its 20 lamps, with a three-year loan offered for the balance.

Chairman Paul Tuthill believes the solution being proposed is sensible, but described MHDC’s offer as “miserly”.

“I think it needs to be looked at again,” he said. “We were under the impression that we were looking at sharing the costs 50-50.

“MHDC seems to be prepared to give a football club more than £100,000 to take over Sling Lane and I would have thought that the heritage of Malvern should have the same level of support.”

However Coun Madden said: “Coun Tuthill knows our financial situation and the bottom line is that we cannot afford to offer a grant.

“These proposals have come as the result of a working group of all parties concerned and our understanding is that these were seen as feasible solutions. We’re trying to do everything we can to support them.”

If the proposals are agreed Coun Madden said there would be a leead-time of about two months on the work.