Falkirk High Street site being explored for new town hall

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Falkirk Council says is looking to buy a site on the High Street to build a new town hall, after concern over what will happen when the existing facility closes next year.

The council said it is currently "liaising with local land owners with a view to provisionally buying a site on Falkirk High Street" for a new town hall.

The comment came in response to concerns from a local network of arts groups who say that there is "distrust and cynicism" after years of being promised a new theatre for the district with nothing to show for it. Read more: Falkirk show doesn't go on after heating failure in town hallWith the town hall set to close for the last time in February, the chair of Falkirk Arts Network, Kathryn Grainger, said they are "appreciative of the support offered so far by Council officers, especially with finding alternative venues for next year’s shows which had originally been booked for Falkirk Town Hall theatre".At the last full council meeting of the year, councillors agreed there could be flexibility between a £10,000 fund to help local groups find a new venue and a £50,000 fund to create a new district-wide arts programme to replace FTH's usual offering.They have also been told that improvements will be made to Bo'ness and Grangemouth town halls, to help them accommodate the sort of shows that FTH usually hosts.But Ms Grainger said there is still uncertainty over the future of the arts in Falkirk as both Grangemouth and Bo'ness town halls are on the list of buildings that are due to close or transfer out of council ownership over the next three years.She said: "This could mean that there could be even fewer venues available before a new arts centre/town hall materialises."It will be very difficult for groups