The proposed transfer of the Renwick Community Memorial Hall to the Education Ministry is at a standstill until committee members against the idea present their case to the rest of the committee next month.
A group of committee members is against any transfer because they say they will lose control to the ministry.
Committee chairman James Cresswell said those against the proposal would report back at a committee meeting on September 12.
Mr Cresswell called a public meeting at the hall, co-owned by the ministry, Marlborough District Council and Renwick RSA, on August 9 to have a discussion about the proposal.
A show of hands indicated support of 42-19 for the move, which was a fair reflection of the Renwick community's sentiment, he said.
He was a reluctant supporter of the transfer, but said it was a financial decision. "At the moment I'm for transfer, but if they [committee members] come up with a way [the hall] will pay its own way, it's good for it to stay in community."
The committee decided in 2008 it would be "for the good of the hall" to transfer ownership because it could not afford improvements as bookings were down, he said.
Committee member Rata Harper said the hall should remain in community hands rather than being handed over to Renwick School.
"They don't have to own it; then it becomes political. It's got to stay in the community."
The committee was in a better financial position to take care of the hall, she said.
Ms Harper – who was on the original committee when it formed in 1979 – said the deed to the hall signed by the Marlborough County Council, the Education Board, and the Marlborough RSA, stated the school had to maintain the hall in exchange for free use between 9am and 3pm.
The committee takes care of improvements and bookings.
If the ministry wanted to spend more money maintaining the hall it did not need to own it because the school was already responsible for upkeep, she said.
Renwick School principal Simon Heath said the school, under a previous principal, agreed to take over responsibility for the hall if there was community support.
A caretaker looked after the hall grounds, carpark, and gardens about five hours a week, Mr Heath said.
Owning the hall would be a "considerable amount of work" for the school because it needed to be cleaned, maintained, and developed.
The ministry would provide some funding under the school's 10-year property plan if it owned the building.
Marlborough District councillor Francis Maher said the council would be involved in any decision, but not until the emotion dies down.
The council needed to deal with the facts of a possible transfer.
- The Marlborough Express
SIMON WONG Last updated 13:00 26/08/2011
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