A FESTIVAL organiser has called the process of moving Westmorland and Furness services into the town hall 'concerning and frustrating.' 

The council is seeking to relocate staff from county hall and altering the interior by upgrading the reception and interview facilities, as well as creating more desk workspace for customer-facing activities.

The application to change the grade-II listed building is currently under officer consideration. 

The fourth iteration of the Kendal Whiskey Festival will run from Friday December 6 to Sunday December 8 in the town hall.

Speaking before cabinet members, organiser Phil Walker said: "As a Kendal Business, our intention was to build on the existing impressive events schedule for Kendal people and an opportunity to attract significant numbers from outside the region to Kendal town.

"We have achieved this, with the festival attracting close to 1000 people this year."

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Mr Walker added that the decision to use the town hall was 'conscious and deliberate.' The festival chose to use it, even at the detriment to the financial potential of the business, to support the town as a whole, Mr Walker told councillors. 

"Approaching our fourth year festival, notification of significant changes affecting this year's festival are concerning and frustrating with no notice or consultation prior to decisions being made impacting our business and this years event directly," he said.

"Now to be in a position of looking towards next year, with even greater uncertainty, we find this position unacceptable for our business and the wider business community. And local groups who use the town hall too,

Mr Walker told the cabinet that they were in consultation with other users of the town hall who share their concerns with regards to the re-purposing of the rooms. 

He accused the council of having 'no transparency, discussion or notice of intentions until their immediate detrimental impact.' 

Council leader Jonathan Brook replied: "‘I would like to thank you for raising this important issue and I can confirm how important the festival is to Kendal’s social diary and commend you on its success.

"I also want to clarify that the festival is welcome in the Town Hall and officers have given a commitment to seek to find the balance between the festival needs and those of our customers, acknowledging that in some circumstances this will require compromise.

"I do apologise for any inconvenience the change has resulted in. I have been assured that the festival has been offered largely the same space as previous years except for the Romney Room, but a large alternative of the Bindloss Room has been proposed to help facilitate the festival to take place this year.

"We are a council that is pro-business and we strive to ensure where we can our buildings play a key role in supporting this."

Mr Brook said he was 'hopeful' that the council would strike a balance between community use and the customers' needs and that he had sought assurances officers will work with respective groups including the Whisky Festival.