You didn't say it in so few words, but with commercial rents being what they are in Newbury, only an established artist with a proven track record & able to command good prices for their work would be able to afford a studio, workshop etc in Newbury. Therefore, for a relatively unknown, local artist to be able to rent space to make & sell & perhaps live in such a development would imply a subsidy.
Recording studios would be rented, shop space would be rented, galleries would charge admission. What do Greenham Arts do at the moment? What will they do at the Ark in the Park?
Of course it wouldn't make as much money as the flats will, and that's why it won't get done. After all, thats not what these people learned the handshake and bought the leather apron for is it?
Threep.
Lovely idea but who will pay for the clean up of industrial waste and heavy metals in the sub soil and secondly what would the new landlord (Greenham Trust I believe you suggested) need to charge the users to use the facilities and break even. Showstopper I'm afraid. Now, it would have made a good location for the cinema, a bowling alley and suchlike with ample parking. Too late though I'm afraid.
Have no idea of cost to clean up, but it's gotta be done as a legal requirement anyway, so it should be offsetable against tax, whoever does it.
As for economic rents? well that depends on how quickly they want a return.
Not EXACTLY the same thing, but a start on the right lines http://www.viablescraftcentre.co.uk/ add recording studios, various spaces, maybe even an outdoor theatre into the mix, and you've gotta proper place for people to visit. E.g. ..for the film "Shakespeare in Love" they built an exact replica of The Globe, after filming, the producers gave it to Judy Dench. As far as I know, it's still stored away in flatpack form, because she can't find a home for it. There are all sorts of imaginative things that the site could be used for, rather than the high rise rabbit hutches built by the lowest tender that we're likely to get.
Have no idea of cost to clean up, but it's gotta be done as a legal requirement anyway, so it should be offsetable against tax, whoever does it.
Threep.
Nice thought but to offset against tax then the person/company taking the offset has to be in a profit situation so to do, otherwise Threep, you could pop down the tax office and ask for a couple of million quid and do it yourself. Could be a nice little earner. Which company would you believe would buy the site, clean it up and then build stuff so that a few arty/luvvies can take space to show their unmade bed art design all at low rentals giving possibly a fifty year or longer payback even if the tax man was that generous.
The same mob company that have and will subvert local democracy to get their pavillion built elsewhere.
Threep,
They will want sumffing for nuffing so I doubt that they would lay out that sort of cash. Remember they were only going to pay some of the pavilion costs and I don't recall any statement that they would continue to support it once it was up and running.
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