Page 15 - Hindsight Issue 26 April 2020

KetteRIng
changed. other sources for funding were explored, taking hours of research, form filling, gathering of evidence; each application proved fruitless.
March 2013 Kettering Evening Telegraph article; ‘(Newlands) Centre aim for Mosaic’. the owners of the shopping centre, elandi, offered to have the mosaic. even though we didn’t think this ideal, at least it would be in a more prominent position in the centre of the town. We received Planning Permission and as years went by whilst fundraising, a second application was made and granted.
In January 2019, waiting in a traffic queue along Windmill Avenue, my eye caught a large wall on the now ‘new’ – 12-year-old college! this would be the best place for the mosaic, back where it started! I would approach the college again to see if they would have the mosaic.
A meeting was arranged and the Principal was in favour of receiving the mosaic. We parted, each with a list of issues that would require addressing. Bearing in mind that colleges are busy places and considering easter and summer holidays, we did not want to put pressure onto the staff to move the project forward. eventually we managed to arrange a meeting.
Unfortunately, the staff who had agreed to the mosaic had left. All records of our meetings and emails had gone with them. the important piece of information that we needed from the college was what lay behind the brick-clad wall. Would the wall be structurally strong enough to bear the weight of the mosaic? We felt sure that it would be but we needed to have evidence in the form of an architect’s plan. no one knew if the college still had the original plans, and all staff who were around 12 years ago had moved on. the builders, Leadbitter, had gone into administration.
Last year the society was instrumental in supporting Kettering Borough Council’s successful £2m application for Historic england’s High street Funding. We were included in the stakeholder meetings making recommendations and submitting the society’s thoughts on possible projects.
We still have two main hurdles before the mosaic project can be brought to fruition. Firstly, we need to know if the wall is suitable to take the mosaic and secondly, we still need to find about £15,000 to complete the project. the ultimate question is; will Kettering Borough Council, through the Historic england fund provide the £10,000 still needed to match the society’s £17,000 that will enable the mosaic to be restored and installed?
By next year this time we will know if the mosaic has been truly saved.
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