Friday, June 3 2016
EU referendum debate
Remain or Leave? City politicians speak out - page 12
Hove library: Shock cinema plan revealed
Play-off party Albion Women gain promotion - page 53
Sackville Tower Back to the drawing board
Labour unveils plan for art house venue EXCLUSIVE Bex Bastable @BexBastable
The Carnegie building which has been home to Hove Library for 108 years could become an art house cinema. Warren Morgan, leader of Brighton and Hove City Council exclusively revealed the plans to the Brighton and Hove Independent, ahead of next week’s crunch meeting on Hove Library. He said: “Behind the scenes, we have been talking to an art house cinema chain about buying the building, and returning a cinema to Hove, the birthplace of film, for the first time in 40 years. “All the time the sale of the Carnegie building has been
under discussion, this has had to remain confidential.” But Cllr Morgan’s vision could come to nothing if the Libraries Plan is voted down at Thursday’s policy and resources meeting. Critics of Labour’s controversial plans to move Hove Library into an extension at the museum, and sell off the Carnegie building, continue to campaign against the proposals. The business case for the merger was pulled from last month’s policy and resources committee, when it became clear that Green and Conservative councillors were set to vote down the plan. The opposition parties said there were concerns raised about figures on the cost of
repairing and maintaining the Carnegie building – and an independent surveyor found the council had overestimated the cost of repairs. Geoffrey Theobald, leader of the Conservatives, did not indicate how his councillors would vote on Thursday, but said: “This is a very important decision and we are still looking into all aspects of it.” Green councillor Ollie Sykes,criticised the Labour administration for the delay in publishing its business plan for the Hove Library move, and said: “If a decision is made on Thursday it will not be on the basis of full and open information. That should be a worry for all councillors.” SEE PAGE 3
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