Oakham Town Council Meeting: Tributes, Budgets, and the Future of Victoria Hall
Oakham Town Council convened on Wednesday, November 12th, 2025, for a meeting marked by a solemn tribute, contentious financial discussions, and surprising news regarding a local landmark.
The meeting began with a minute's silence in memory of the recently departed ex-Councillor Joyce Lucas BEM, a former member of the council.
Attendance: Apologies were received and approved. Cllr Anna Douthwaite was present before the meeting but chose not to stay, and Cllr Christopher Clark was absent.
Financial Matters and Budget
The council engaged in significant discussion before approving the Bank Statements for October 2025.
A point of contention arose during the consideration of the Provisional Budget for 2025/26. While the council received the proposal from the Finance Working Group, councillors were unusually not permitted to discuss the draft budget during the meeting itself.
The draft budget is proposing a 4% increase.
Oakham Hopper Funding Approved
In a major decision, the council approved the continued funding of the free Oakham Hopper Bus service. Councillors agreed to contribute £29,000—representing 10% of their income—to the service provided by Rutland County Council (RCC).
A key point raised was that this funding, for this service along with the payment of the electricity bill bill for street lighting is done with no formal agreement or contract in place with Rutland County Council.
The council also deferred a CCTV Funding Request from RCC for annual maintenance, requesting more information and a meeting with an RCC representative before committing funds.
Safety and Land Use
CCTV Enquiries for Brooke Road
The Council approved initial enquiries into the installation of a CCTV camera in or near the Woodland Trust car park on Brooke Road.
The discussion was not without friction. Cllr Brookes recalled historic issues relating to the council's involvement in obtaining the land from the Trust for the school. Conversely, Cllr Wadsworth expressed the view that there was no significant issue with anti-social behaviour in the car park. Ultimately, a working group was established to investigate the matter further.
Victoria Hall's Uncertain Future
The Victoria Hall Working Group delivered a report on the project's progress, which presented what were described as "very confusing proposals." One proposal was withdrawn during the meeting and eventually all proposals were deferred.
Cllr Paul Ainsley stated, "I feel it is all a bit rushed at the moment and this is not something we should be rushing. We defer the approval of the heritage architect, which has the unfortunate consequence that we are being told by the trustees that Victoria Hall is likely to be mothballed post-Christmas."
After the meeting Joanna Burrows one of The Victoria Trustees, told the Local Democracy Reporter the hall will not be mothballed.
Cllr Martin Brookes said, It is my firm belief that this council has already spent enough public money on the hall, and we should now walk away. We have no legal liability to support the hall financially. To be explicitly clear, the Oakham Town Council (OTC) is under no legal obligation or covenant to provide ongoing financial or management assistance to the Trustees of Victoria Hall. Conversely, the Trustees themselves, as fiduciaries of a charitable body, bear sole legal responsibility for the proper management, financial stability, and effective governance of the Hall. This includes ensuring all assets are protected and that decisions are made strictly in the best interest of the charity, a responsibility that appears questionable given the inconsistent statements and resource allocation history.
Read the Rutland Times Report by the local democracy reporter Sarah Ward: https://www.lincsonline.co.uk/rutland/news/mothballs-stay-in-the-drawer-while-historic-hall-s-future-is-9442234/
Other Business
Minutes: Errors were noted in the minutes from the Full Council meeting on October 8th and the Extraordinary Meeting on October 22nd. They were accepted with alterations.
Chairman's Report: The Chairman detailed his engagements over the past month, many of which were linked to Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day commemorations.
Oakham Twinning Association: The council approved a request from the Twinning Association to use and adapt the Oakham Town Crest, subject to no restriction within existing council policies.
Confidentiality Breach
A matter was considered in Private Session, with the press and public being excluded to discuss a Structural Survey Report for a property in Cheviot Close.
However, this exclusion followed the council's previous act of publishing all the confidential information on its public website. This lapse in security saw the local press produce a report resulting in the publication of all details of the matter, including the resident's name and address.
The next Full Council meeting is scheduled for 10th December 2025 at 6:30pm.
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