by David Skentelbery
MORE than 200 angry residents demonstrated outside Warrington Town Hall as members of the borough council's executive board arrived to discuss the controversial plan to go into partnership with a private company to develop the hall as a luxury hotel and conference centre.
Leader of the council Ian Marks appeared on the Town Hall steps to receive a petition signed by more than 7,000 people.
Banners and placards were waved and there was some chanting of protests, but the demonstration was orderly and peaceful, making a substantial police presence unnecessary.
Representatives of the demonstrators - which included the Save Walton Hall Gardens Campaign, the Friends of Walton Estate and Walton Parish Council were allowed into a packed council chamber, along with many other members of the public.
Some members of the public were allowed to speak - an unusual event at executive board meetings. And after a lengthy debate, they heard the board unanimously approve two recommendations instead of the six originally put forward.
These were to agree a draft master plan as a basis for public consultation, with the results of the consultation to be reported back to the board for consideration and to approve continued discussions with potential partners.
Before this, several campaigners had addressed the board.
Mark White, for the Save Walton Hall and Gardens Campaign, told councillors that in addition to 7,000 people who had signed the petition, more than 17,000 people of all ages had registered their support for the campaign on the social networking site Facebook.
He said residents felt the proposals would completely change the character of the hall and grounds.
He said consultation which had been promised with the Friends of Walton Estate and English Heritage had not taken place.
Mr White said there had been fundamental errors in the council's accounting which purported to show Walton Hall had lost £649,000 last year.
Residents believed there would be exclusion zones in the grounds which would no longer be open to the public if the scheme went ahead.
"This isn't saving Warrington's heritage - it is giving it away," he said.
Keith Inman, of the Friends of Walton Estate, said people believed a decision had already been made and their views would not be taken into account.
Borough councillor Paul Kennedy, who represents the area, said he had been saying for some years that Walton Hall needed major investment and that the council did not, and never would have, the money to carry it out.
He urged the council to consider setting up a Community Land Trust covering certain areas of the park, "to be run by the people, for the people, in perpetuity."
He admitted he did not know if the idea was feasible but believed it was worth exploring.
Coun Marks admitted the council's communication with the public had not been ideal. But until recently there had been no detailed proposal on which to consult the public.
"The proper consultation starts tonight," he said. "No decision will be made until the public has been properly consulted.  The irony of all this is that we are all on the same side - we all want to save Walton Gardens"
Deputy leader of the council Keith Bland said until now, the council had had nothing to consult the public on.
"There would have been no point in consulting on a blank sheet of paper," he said.
"We want to bring Walton Hall back. It used to be the jewel in Warrington's crown but it is a bit tarnished at the moment."
The meeting heard there would be widespread consultation with exhibitions, leaflets, and copies of the draft master plan in libraries and other public buildings. The council wanted everyone to contribute.
At the end of the meeting, the board went into private session to consider confidential aspects of the plans which, Coun Marks said, could be commercially sensitive and against the public interest to be made public at this stage.
But he pledged that the council was not hiding anything and that the process would be open and transparent.
Pictures: The demonstrators outside Warrington Town Hall and council leader Ian Marks receiving the 7,000-strong petition from organisers Malcolm Eldridge and Mark White.