Brass band no longer facing 1,377% rent increase

The chair of Royston Town Band said the rent change would not have happened without public support

A brass band which feared its annual rent charge would increase by 1,377% says it has been told the price change will no longer happen.

Royston Town Band was told by Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) that its payments could go up from £500 per year to £7,385.

However the band's chairwoman, Charmian Flowerday, said following a meeting with HCC, the annual rent would only increase to £738.

The council was approached for comment.

Royston Town Band opened its practice room in 2015 following a large fundraising appeal

Royston Town Band, formed in the mid 1800s, regularly hosts concerts, performs at fetes and develops budding musicians.

The practice room in Tannery Drift, close to the town's fire station, is owned by the band, but the council owns the land as it forms part of a school playing field.

The authority had said it was reviewing its long-standing policy of offering a 90% discount on rent to community and voluntary groups to "ensure it is consistently applied" and "offers good value for public money".

More than 2,500 people signed a petition calling on the council to continue offering its discounted rates.

Ms Flowerday thanked those who backed the group: "We wouldn't have achieved this without all of the amazing support you have given to the band."

However the chairwoman warned this was "a temporary fix" and "it's not really the end of the story".

She said: "HCC are in the process of reviewing how much rental discount to give all voluntary groups, and if we want a sustainable solution for the band and other local groups, we need to keep demonstrating the value of what we do."

The chair said the band's new rent price of £738 per annum would be in place for at least three years.