Statement from the Chair of Community and Customer Services Committee about Gracefield
At the start of the Community and Customer services meeting on Tuesday 8 March, the Chair Tom McAughtrie made the following statement about Gracefield Arts Centre:
“Since the Policy and Resources Committee meeting on 25 February 2016, there have been a number of suggestions on social media and people stating that Gracefield Art Gallery is to close. This has caused some understandable anxiety amongst staff and user groups and the Director and I will be writing to them to clarify the position.
I would emphasise that there has been no decision made to close Gracefield.
The report on the Dumfries Asset Plan included a recommendation that an options appraisal be carried out on whether or not it would be advantageous to relocate the services and facilities provided at Gracefield Arts Centre to a more central location within Dumfries Town centre. This is clearly part of a wider strategy aimed at reducing the number and cost of buildings held by the Council in Dumfries but also supporting the regeneration of our town centres. Furthermore, the recommendation clearly states that further work is required to identify whether an alternative location is available for those services and facilities.
Therefore absolutely no decision has been made on closure or, indeed, disposal of the site. I think it is also important to publicly reassure staff, facility users and the general public that the further options appraisal process will include, as an early and central stage, significant consultation with all stakeholders in those services and facilities with a very clear aim- can we improve the current provision of services and facilities if re-located to a more central location. That is something that I am sure will be welcome by staff, users and the wider public and by politicians who actually have a genuine interest in the future of the service.”
