The Reid Hall in Forfar has come in for fresh criticism from the town’s community council after it labelled the showpiece facility “an embarrassment.”
Amidst reports that guests at one function had to go out and buy their own toilet paper, community councillors have called for a bottom-up review of how the hall is run.
Community council chairman Isobel Ross has also taken Angus Council’s chief executive and other senior officers to task for failing to reply to her after similar concerns were highlighted by the body a couple of months ago.
In response, the authority has apologised to Mrs Ross for the delay in replying and said it is working to rectify the issues.
The running of the Reid Hall re-emerged as a hot topic at the latest meeting of the community council when the toilet roll problem was raised alongside complaints of dirty glasses and half-filled dishwasher trays being left in the hall’s kitchen.
Difficulties in keeping guests warm and untidy stage curtains are among other matters to have been raised.
Community councillors said they were receiving an increasing number of complaints.
“I think it’s time somebody got a handle on the Reid Hall,” said Mrs Ross. “The Reid Hall is an embarrassment things have got to improve from the ground up.”
She added: “I know I wrote to the chief executive and officials and, to date, I have had no reply from any of them.
“This is serious this is coming up week after week and month after month.
“It is a commercial venue, which the council is trying to promote for weddings and such like, and we can’t even get these little things right.”
“People are paying a lot of money to hire it, and I don’t think we can even begin to market it for corporate events until these things are sorted out.
“It should be cleaned after every function and ready to rock. I am also not convinced it should be run from the leisure services department.”
Community councillors also suggested the development of private sector commercial facilities, such as the Strathmore Hall at Forfar Mart, would have a further impact on the council-run hall’s attraction as a venue for dances or events.
Hire rates for the Reid Hall, including bar and kitchen, are in the order of £400 for non-commercial groups and £700 for commercial interests.
For a week-long hire, the top line commercial hire figure will be in the order of £2,000 in the coming year.
Angus Council confirmed that in the period from April 1 to December 31 last year, the Reid Hall generated just over £44,000 in income.
Community council vice-chairman Pat Taylor said: “We may be shutting the stable door. We just can’t seem to get it right with the way the Reid Hall is run.”
A spokesman for Angus Council said: “These issues were brought to our attention in November and in the course of resolving the problems mentioned, we identified staffing issues, which are now being addressed.
“We will be communicating soon with Forfar Community Council on this matter and apologise for the delay in responding.”
gbrown@thecourier.co.uk