The Vale of Glamorgan Council has committed to securing the future of Penarth Pier Pavilion as a community facility following the news that Penarth Arts & Crafts Ltd (PACL) have surrendered the lease on the building.

Prior to Christmas, the Vale of Glamorgan Council commenced discussions with PACL and National Lottery organisations to ensure the building remains available for the people of Penarth and the wider Vale of Glamorgan.

Those discussions have now been completed and the Council will now take over the operations of the Pavilion.

It has assured that it will honour all existing event bookings where deposits were paid in good faith and would otherwise have been lost.

They say, "a range of exciting plans for the next chapter in this building's history are also being drawn up, with full details to be revealed in due course".

Cllr. Neil Moore, Leader of the Council, said:

"The Council, along with The National Lottery Community Fund and The National Lottery Heritage Fund, invested a significant amount of grant funding to create a community facility on Penarth Pier.

"As a Council, we remain committed to ensuring the Pier Pavilion building can operate for that purpose.

"We will honour any event bookings taken for which deposits have been paid.

"It is hoped that the Directors of PACL will be in direct contact with anyone in this situation to provide advice on how to contact us to discuss these arrangements.

"I will be presenting a report to the Council's Cabinet shortly setting out these arrangements formally."

Cllr. Lis Burnett, Deputy Leader of the Council, said:

"At the outset, the aim of the Council was to ensure that the Pavilion could be retained for community use. In leading and being at the forefront of the discussions, this was the guiding principle for the Council.

"We have also ensured that work has begun on putting in place a plan for operating the Pavilion as soon as conditions allow.

'These plans will provide a mix of community uses and we are looking forward to working with a range of partners and community groups to shape the way forward for this iconic building."

Rob Thomas, Managing Director of the Council, said:

"I am pleased that the team of senior Council officers who have been working tirelessly on this matter have been able to navigate a course through a difficult time in the Pier Pavilion's history and have now concluded negotiations.

"These negotiations have been lengthy and challenging but were always founded on the desire of the Council to bring the building back to beneficial use as quickly as possible.

"The outcome is testament to the good working relationships between the Council and the Lottery bodies and the hard work of colleagues.

"I can confirm that the Council will now take over the operational ownership of the Pier Pavilion and have a team of skilled professionals ready to make a start on the work involved with a view to bringing the Pavilion into operation as soon as circumstances allow."

Andrew White, Director of The National Lottery Heritage Fund in Wales said:

"We can confirm we are in the final stages of discussions with the Vale of Glamorgan Council about transferring the operations of Penarth Pier pavilion over to them. We will issue a full statement when we are able to do so.

"Penarth Pier Pavilion is an iconic and much-loved structure which has been supported by The National Lottery Heritage Fund for the last 12 years, during which time we have worked closely with PACL to safeguard the building for current and future generations."

Andrew Owen, Head of Funding, National Lottery Community Fund, said:

"I am looking forward to working with the Council in the coming months to see the Pavilion operating once again for the purposes the funding provided was intended.

"Many organisations have experienced significant challenges, especially during the pandemic, and I would like to pay tribute to the work of the partners and Directors.

"That work has ensured a smooth handover of the building and will result in it being brought back into use for the people of Penarth and the wider community."

Nub News is awaiting comment from PACL.