Millfield House, a Grade II listing building, is used by the theatre and dance school Platinum Performing Arts.
A petition calling on Enfield Council to "save Paul Everitt and the Enfield cultural team from redundancy" has so far gathered around 800 signatures. Launched by Love Your Doorstep founder Emma Rigby, it alleges that the head of the council's culture team is being "pushed out" because he is too outspoken.
What are the facts behind the petition? James Cracknell, editor of Enfield Dispatch, has been investigating and yesterday published his findings.
The council declined to comment, but James' enquiries have led him to "understand" that a "major row has erupted at Enfield Council over a proposed shake-up of the borough’s culture venues" and that redundancies are a possibility. The shake-up would involve transfers of the management of some of the borough's cultural venues.
The team led by Paul Everitt is credited by local arts figures with developing culture in the community in Enfield and creating a successful community centre at the Dugdale Centre. It also runs the Green Towers Community Centre, the Millfield Theatre, Millfield House, Forty Hall and Salisbury House - the last three of which are all listed buildings.
A source has told PGC that the proposals include handing over Millfield Theatre and Millfield House to Platinum Performing Arts, commenting that "Platinum are a successful and well run organisation but may not have the resources to run the complex and would not have the experience to run a listed building."
Links
Petition: Save Paul Everitt & the Enfield cultural team from redundancy
Fears over future of Enfield’s culture venues (Enfield Dispatch 30 March 2021)