Restoration (From Penarth Times)

Restoration

LIKE most people who live in the Vale I am relieved that the council is promoting the process that would return the pier pavilion to its former glory.

It is a landmark on our coast and should be an asset to the local community.

We have had excellent coverage of the Nutopia scheme (Penarth Times, May 26).

On first sight, the ambitious plans of Messrs Chang and Ferris sound wonderful - although comparison of a Cannes with a Penarth Film Festival might be somewhat over-ambitious.

But what concerns me is the intention to build a car park below the Kymin.

Lack of parking is the main deterrent to visitors, but if this construction is also to house a restaurant and a film and television academy, then just how big will this building be?

Also, who will pay the salaries of all the specialist lecturers? The intention to turn the pavilion into an 800-1000 seat cinema also sounds highly ambitious when you consider that all large cinemas have long since been replaced by multi-screen ones - the nearest being less than ten minutes from Penarth and with a large free parking area.

Tea dances, now here is an activity that is growing in popularity, although in years past it took a very large number of dancers to make such an enormous hall swing, and won"t all those 1,000 cinema seats be in the way?

A Jazz Festival sounds good. Attendance at the famous one in beautiful Brecon is in decline but perhaps the future of our two under used gems, the Paget Rooms and Turner Gallery, could be assured by such ventures.

The Pavilion itself is in an even worse state inside than it is outside and apart from the main hall has very little useful space.

I admire the vision and enthusiasm of the film entrepreneurs, but if public money is to be made available I beg the council to consider the future of a proven project alongside what could turn out to be the Vale"s own Millennium Dome.

Mrs A Stokes

Cardiff Road

Dinas Powys