A hall 'with a history' will not be mothballed – but its future is still unclear. 

Victoria Hall, a community venue in High Street, Oakham, has been in financial difficulties for several months and trustees say September's income was insufficient to keep the hall running. 

Oakham Town Council has supported the hall with a grant and paid for a new boiler in the past 12 months. It has also been discussing making the hall its new home. 

Oakham Town Councillors continue discussions about the future of Victoria Hall (Photo: LDRS)

On Wednesday last week, council members met intending to appoint a heritage architect for the hall, but Cllr Paul Ainsley, who has been leading discussions between the council and the hall's trustees, suggested deferring this until next month. 

Telling councillors the project was among the largest the town council had ever been involved in, he said he had spoken with a solicitor and urged caution about spending more public money on the hall. 

He said: "I feel it is all a bit rushed at the moment, and this is not something we should be rushing. We defer the approval of the heritage architect, which has the unfortunate consequence that we are being told by the trustees that Victoria Hall is likely to be mothballed post-Christmas. 

But when asked about this term after the meeting, Joanna Burrows, a trustee of the hall, said large bookings might be stopped but the hall would continue to be used in the new year. 

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She declined to say whether or not trustees were in discussions with another organisation besides the council about securing the hall's future. 

At the council meeting, Cllr Martin Brookes, said: "Personally I would like to walk away from it. Where are we going to get the money from to do the work, which we are told is going to be in the region of £400,000? 

"I just think we are going to be wasting money now doing anything more on this." 

The matter will be discussed again when the council meets at its current home, Rol House in Long Row, Oakham, on 10 December.