Event hire Council moves to reassure community groups despite price rises

COMMUNITY groups will be hit by price increases when they hire out city-owned venues for major events, the leader of the council has confirmed, as it is confirmed a fourth community group has been affected by a decision to corporatise the spaces.

- Tristan CORK

The Create Centre at the Cumberland Basin area of Bristol and, below Cllr Tony Dyer

But Cllr Tony Dyer, the leader of Bristol City Council, has told the Post that community organisations will be eligible for discounted rates when they book places like M Shed, City Hall or the Create Centre.

After two months, the city council has finally responded to the Post's inquiries about a flood of complaints from voluntary and community organisations, who said they were being treated as a corporate booking when they went to the council to hire venues they previously had used for regular events.

Earlier this year, council chiefs agreed to contract out the management of some of the spaces owned by the council, including rooms and venues at the M Shed, the Create Centre at the Cumberland Basin and City Hall itself. It hired an upmarket wedding and corporate event catering company called Restaurant Associates to do that job.