Broseley townspeople were "taking a dim view" of the possibility of developers taking over the local Victoria Hall, Alderman T. Wedge declared at last night’s meeting of the Town’s District Committee.
        Later the committee, sitting in private, decided to raise its offer for the hall in order to beat the developers. It wants the hall for the town. Alderman Wedge, a Broseley baker and confectioner, said earlier that since the council had made another offer for the hall last October, it had heard nothing. Then just before its last meeting there was a strong, rumour that a deal had been completed. In view of what was going on he had consulted other members of the committee and the town clerk was asked officially to find out the latest situation from the correspondent to the hall’s trustees.
        The town clerk was told on the telephone, Alderman Wedge continued, that no contract had, been entered into.

RAISED

        But when the committee received a letter from the trustees it was disclosed that the developers had raised their offer. The correspondent to the trustees had been instructed to recommend the Charity Comm to recommend the Charity Commissioners to except that offer.
        The town clerk was instructed to send a letter to the Charity Commissioners expressing the committee’s consternation.
        A petition had also been organised and sent to the commissioners.
        Alderman Wedge believed that the town clerk would be able to tell members later, in committee, that he had now received a further letter from the trustees asking If the committee wanted to make a further offer.
        He added: "I think the people of this town are taking a dim view of it, and I hope the petition will make the Charity Commissioners realise the unrest there is in the town about the whole business."

‘BEST RETURN’

          Mr. Bill Parr, chairman of the trustees, told the "Shropshire Star": "The future of the Victoria’ Hall is the concern of the trustees and the Charity Commissioners — and nobody else."
        "The trustees are responsible to the commissioners and they are at present prepared to get the best return for the hall," he added. "The hall is not a sound building and cannot pay its way."
        A spokesman for the developers said the population of Broseley would increase by leaps and bounds in the next five years, and the town centre development, which envisaged, the acquisition of the hall, would cater for the population increase.

RETROGRESSIVE

        The developers said that they had had outline planning permission for the scheme, which included a civic hall over shops.
        Added the spokesman: "If we get final planning permission from the county, there is nothing that Alderman Wedge and his friends can do. Their opposition just shows what a retrogressive attitude some people have to development. The scheme will be of immense benefit to the town and the majority of local people I know think so too."