At the Islands Full Council Meeting last Wednesday, John Wortham asked a question during public question time from the public gallery.
In my opinion, Ventnor’s Snellen and Ward, aka IW Jazz, are insolvent, owing approximately £55,000 from the 2007 events. As legally in such situations, the interest of creditors are paramount, does this Authority intend to grant them the facilities of Salisbury Gardens in April? A simple YES or NO would be appreciated.
The question was in reference to the outstanding permission that the Jazz office had requested to use Salisbury Gardens, in Ventnor again this year.
Cllr Hunter Henderson replied in a prepared answer, didn’t give a simple YES or NO, replying instead that, “as [he] understood it, Salisbury Gardens was no longer required as the Winter Gardens will be used instead.”
This was following discussions two weeks ago between the Jazz Office and the Winter Gardens committee, chaired by Maureen Cawley. With the question mark hanging over the IW Council’s permission to use of Salisbury Gardens, the committee agreed to the Winter Gardens use, much to many people’s surprise and disappointment – especially those who are still owed substantial amounts of money by the events organisers.
Speaking to one of this years Jazz sponsors today — two weeks after the meeting with the Ventnor Town Council and nearly a week after the full council meeting — the news of Salisbury Gardens not being used had not reached them. A little strange you might think, as they were to have their stand there. [Image of Unidos Samba Band playing at the Jazz Festival in Salisbury Gardens, April 2006]
