Decision to close Wensum Lodge as a place for Adult Learning and art classes

 -This is a re-post of an email sent by Frances Martin of Norwich 20 Group.

Thanks to many for your email replies to the previous email sent, with a request to sign the petitions - apologies if you have already received this via NCAS. Also to some who have made a banner which is currently displayed outside Wensum Lodge.

As of this morning the Green Party's one is at 3,957 - and needs just over 1,000 more names to have a debate about the issue at a full council meeting - if you can help to get to this number that would be much appreciated! There is also a Labour Party petition so please sign both - see below

If you have already signed, thank you - please can you also share with family and friends and ask them to put their names to it too - anyone with a UK postcode can sign the Green one.

I'm sending this again to ask you to consider the potential closure of Wensum Lodge - which many may know has been a place for art courses for many years, including the venue of our life workshop from 1984-2020, and the loss - most likely for sale for further property development - will be felt deeply by many who teach and take courses there.
Links to both here:
https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/saving-wensum-lodge-to-be-a-creative-hub?source=direct_link&
https://www.norwichlabour.org.uk/petition-protect-wensum-lodge/

They have been set up by firstly Norwich Green Party and also Norwich Labour Party - please note that you do not need to have any political affiliation to either of these parties to sign the petitions and you can add your name to both.

Unfortunately on on Monday 3 July at the Norfolk County Council Cabinet meeting, cabinet members did vote in favour of the resolution, as copied again here:
To formally declare Wensum Lodge Complex, 169 King Street NR1 1QW (4109/041) surplus to Council requirements and instruct the Director of Property to dispose of the property. In the event of a disposal receipt exceeding delegated limits the Director of Property in consultation with the Director of Strategic Finance and Cabinet Member for Corporate Services and Innovation is authorised to accept the most advantageous offer.  

I attended the meeting, along with some students and city councillors, here is a link to the meeting if anyone wishes to see how the process went, at just over an hour in, which is available to watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz2cq3Yd2Gk

The plan says that classes can be held online and elsewhere in Norfolk, with some locations like the Norman Centre and the Millennium Library identified.
​
However for most creative art classes these will be unsuitable - here are two images, of the pottery and the silversmithing rooms, with specialised equipment in place.

Anyone who wants to read the full council meeting information, with links to the meeting agenda and reports there (Wensum Lodge from p168): https://norfolkcc.cmis.uk.com/norfolkcc/CalendarofMeetings/tabid/128/ctl/ViewMeetingPublic/mid/496/Meeting/2050/Committee/169/SelectedTab/Documents/Default.aspx

Again apologies for a long email but this issue is important to many of us in the arts and I very much hope you can sign and share.

Many thanks
Frances
(writing here also as a tutor and on behalf of many colleagues and students who are, or have created art at Wensum Lodge)