THE future use and a possible rebrand of the Assembly Hall is expected to be discussed by Melksham Town Council before the end of the month.
A report, which proposes a rebrand for the Assembly Hall – with a new name and a ‘more fitting strapline’: ‘The Assembly – the Place where Melksham meets’ – was set to be discussed at a meeting last week. But the item was postponed due to a lack of time.
It has also been suggested that the venue play host to more community-focussed events with a range of activities that more broadly reflects the demographic of the town. At the time of going to press, no date had been confirmed for the meeting, but a town council spokesperson told Melksham News that it is likely to be before the end of April, with the appropriate seven working days’ notice, to allow the public to be informed.
Meanwhile, news of the proposed rebrand for the venue has been met with a mixed reaction from the community.
“Please keep the name! Why change it? Just why?” said one local resident in response to the story in the last issue of Melksham News.
“Hundreds of Melksham folk met their future partners there and have fine memories of the Assembly Hall!”
Another said, “Keep the name. There are so many memories tied up there, in the very fabric and atmosphere collected after years of going to the Assembly Hall – for either Paul’s Pops or other amazing acts, and I’m going back 50 years. The Assembly Hall is synonymous to Melksham. Would be sad to lose its name.”
As part of the upcoming discussions, the town council will also discuss a proposal to revise the pricing structure for hire of the venue, increasing the hourly rate – for example, hiring the whole building from Monday to Thursday will rise from £42 per hour to £60 per hour – not including VAT. The increase has been proposed to allow for the Assembly Hall to operate within the 2022/23 budget set last year by the town council and to ‘minimise costs wherever possible’.
“Keep the price low not high, then more people will hire,” said one local resident in response to the proposal.
The future of the Assembly Hall hit the headlines last year when the town council proposed a number of options for the venue, including mothballing it. The proposal sparked speculation that the venue’s future was at risk, prompting a strong reaction from locals.
Although the town council promised that the Assembly Hall will not be closed or moth balled, speculation remains rife in the town.
“I think the Assembly Hall’s fate was sealed when the manager was made redundant by Melksham Town Council in another of their famous behind-closed-doors meetings,” said one resident about the upcoming discussions.
“Most councillors had no idea what was happening and had 10 minutes to read the papers about it.
“No manager and staff hours reduced by 60% – seems it is being run down so it can be closed.”
