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Save the Hazlitt | News


Fury over plan to shut Hazlitt


THE furious managing director of the umbrella group which runs the Hazlitt Theatre has spoken of his dismay at losing Maidstone's cultural crown jewel to council cuts. Cash-strapped Maidstone Bor- ough Council (MBC) must find sav- ing in its budgets to balance the books after being hit by falling rev- enues in the COVID-19 crisis. Senior council officials persuaded


elected members the contract with a firm contracted to run the theatre for MBC is “not sustainable” at more than £20,000 a month while The Ha- zlitt is closed and not trading. Tony Doherty, who runs the the- atre arm of Parkwood Leisure, says 40 staff will lose their jobs if MBC carries through with its intention to terminate the contract with the provider. A four line statement last Friday afternoon said "MBC is currently in discussions" with Parkwood The- atres. It was met by a massive pub- lic backlash with 4,500 joining Downs Mail's 'Save the Hazlitt' Facebook page in five days. Mr Doherty said: "There have been no negotiations. No official word, no due process. I was told by MBC on Friday 13 that a council committee had decided to terminate the contract. I am learning viritually everything about what is going on from the Downs Mail and other media. This whole thing has been handled in- credibly poorly. “A lot of people are at risk of los- ing their jobs and this is no way to


‘Putting vanity


before public’ SHEPWAY councillor Eddie Pow- ell said: “The town’s precious the- atre is being sacrificed for what is a relatively small amount of money, all whilst MBC spends money like a drunken sailor on shore leave. They are busy buy- ing up millions of pounds worth of flats and a leisure centre with public money.”


Maidstone MP Helen Grant backed calls to save the theatre adding: “This is about more than money. The Hazlitt is central to the fabric of our town. Its produc- tions, workshops and youth the- atre clubs bring joy to so many people.”


Star Richard Blackwood in panto


treat them. But be warned, when theatres shut, they shut - they don’t come back. “The Hazlitt may not be a big


theatre or a glamourous theatre but it is loved by Maidstone.” A cross-aparty delegation of


councillors wrote to MBC’s chief ex- ecutive Alison Broom asking for the recommendations to be “called in” to the policy and resources (P&R) committee on November 25. But one MBC insider believes the


P&R committee, chaired by the leader of MBC, Cllr Martin Cox,will not overturn the decision to close the Hazlitt. He said: “The theatre has been


shut to larger performances since March so it is hard to justify £20,000 a month on it. Unless, of course, the council looks for cuts internally and that’s the last thing it will do.”


Breaking news on the Hazlitt clo- sure at downsmail.co.uk.


‘People were


not consulted’ CLLR Jonathan Purle said: “The theatre has been closed since March, but the council should have a plan in place to re-open it when the pandemic is over. Instead, it looks like council officers want to take the money and run. “This decision appears to have


been made at short notice and in closed session. The committee pa- pers were so secret, I couldn’t get a copy until they were handed to me by a local journalist. There has been zero public consultation. “The council should re-consider


the matter in the light of how peo- ple of Maidstone feel about it.”


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