Local arts groups have said they are "sorely disappointed" with Falkirk Council 's decision to close Falkirk Town Hall in February while an Independent councillor dubbed it "morally bankrupt".
On Wednesday, the SNP administration won the support of the Conservative group to go ahead with the closure, with the proviso that it was delayed to allow the youth theatre company Big Bad Wolf to put on their show.
Last year, Falkirk Council had pledged to keep the town hall open until a replacement facility was ready, despite the fact that the adjoining Municipal Buildings are currently being demolished. But a report to councillors found that cost of separating the two, then repairing the town hall would be £6 million.
Read more: Closure of Falkirk Town Hall will go ahead after delay for children's show
But critics say the town hall has been allowed to run down over several years. And they also claim that people should have been given more warning about the closure.
While Falkirk Arts Network (FAN) welcomed the decision to allow Big Bad Wolf's show to go ahead, they say other groups stand to lose thousands of pounds as they have already paid deposits for costumes, sets and performing rights' fees.
And they believe closing the town hall without a replacement means many local amateur companies will not survive.
Kathryn Grainger, chair of FAN, said: "The platitudes offered by the council do nothing to alleviate the impact this decision will have on the arts and creative groups in Falkirk.
"To suggest that fixtures such as lighting can be transferred when the building is being dismantled, and utilised in Bo’ness or Grangemouth town halls, merely highlights the lack of understanding of the suitability of these buildings for large productions. There are safety issues with them too, as they are also in a state of disrepair."
The future of Falkirk's town hall has been the subject of fierce debate at council since 2007 and since then arguments have raged about the size, location and purpose of any replacement.
At Wednesday's meeting, council leader Cecil Meiklejohn said she was hopeful that a replacement town hall could be built within three years.
Kathryn believes it more likely to be five years.
She said: "This is too long for groups such as Falkirk Operatic Society, Project Theatre and Falkirk Tryst Orchestra to be without a suitable venue. They need to be able to generate income from ticket sales and to keep public interest going, as well as the enthusiasm of their members."
Two of the council's Independents blasted the decision as "a short-sighted attempt to grab as much money as possible from the sale of the old Municipal Building’s site".
Councillor Brian McCabe said: "That Council’s previous position, advising the current Town Hall would only be demolished once a replacement facility had been delivered, be discarded so easily was completely unacceptable as well as being morally bankrupt."
He slated the council for making the decision before it carried out a statutory consultation on the sale of the land, as it is obliged to do.
"This illustrates the SNP’s complete disregard of the community’s desires or wishes. You consult, and then you act; not vice-versa."
He and Councillor Robert Spears are also concerned that the proposals for a new replacement Town Hall are "extremely vague and will eventually lead to the acceptance of a new facility which is neither big enough nor ambitious enough for the area".
He added that it was "astonishing" that the SNP Council Leader did not know where the replacement might be located, after "five to ten years of supposed design development and at a cost running into multiple millions of pounds".
"Where is the vision? Where is the integrity? Where is our theatre? Our communities deserve better." he said.
The leader of the Labour group, Councillor Anne Hannah, was also concerned at the lack of consultation.
She believes the plans should have taken into account bookings already made with FTH - not just local groups but also acts including Lulu and Paul Young.
"If they can delay the closure for the Big Bad Wolf show, why can't they delay it for the other groups that are booked in to April?" said Cllr Hannah.
She does not accept the dire warnings that the building could fail any day, leading to shows being cancelled.
"If the building isn't safe, why were we sitting having a meeting in it?" she said. "They are talking about closing it in a 'planned and managed way' - but there is nothing planned or managed about it!"
She too is unhappy that there are no firm plans for what will replace FTH and believes councillors were asked to take a decision without knowing the full facts.
The Conservative group, however, accepted that building a replacement on Falkirk's High Street would support the regeneration of the town centre.
Councillor James Bundy, Falkirk Conservative's economic development spokesperson, explained that his group "voted to maximise the budget for the new Town Hall with the understanding that this will bring the best facilities for Falkirk’s art communities in the future, and that Falkirk Town Hall remains at the centre of Falkirk’s community".
While supporting the proposal, they succeeded in pushing back the closure to allow the Big Bad Wolf production to go ahead and won agreement that local art groups should be consulted before deciding the budget for financial assistance to support them using alternative venues.
An SNP spokesperson described the decision as "one of the most painful we, as a council, will have ever had to take".
They said: "It’s not a decision taken lightly but it is a decision we had to take considering the financial situation, the need to progress economic development in Falkirk town centre, and the acknowledgement by everyone that Falkirk needs a fit for purpose Town Hall that is safe to operate.
“We are committed to working with the Voluntary Arts sector to identify the support they need to adapt and take forward any plans they have in alternative venues."
They have also pledged £200,000 of funding to support an arts programme that will take place across the district while the town hall is closed.
But they believe the decision will bring a new town hall closer as quickly as possible after years of delays and council officers have been asked to bring proposals for a new site forward as quickly as possible.
"This will provide certainty for our town centre businesses, with commitment to invest in our town centre, and gives an opportunity to work to deliver a fresh arts-prospectus that will benefit every community in Falkirk district," they said.
