Deputy leader Carrie Richardson said it lacked the staff and expertise to provide such dedicated hospitality
Kirkleatham Walled Garden
A council cabinet member says her local authority lacks the expertise to organise weddings and other events at the Kirkleatham Walled Garden. Councillor Carrie Richardson, the deputy leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council, also claimed there was “local and national interest” from potential operators in the venue.
The Local Democracy Reporting Service recently revealed how current leaseholder, catering, hospitality and facilities services firm Elior intends to exit at the end of August and has cancelled future bookings after that date, offering refunds to anyone affected. The council, as the owner of the site, will be handed the lease back as a result – Elior having exercised a break clause available to it five years into a ten year arrangement.
While visitors pay for entry to the garden and there is also a café, its main revenue earner is an events pavilion with capacity for 350 guests, which hosts weddings, along with other functions such as award ceremonies and school proms.
Posting on Facebook, Cllr Richardson, who has the culture brief on the cabinet, rejected the idea that the council could employ staff and operate the venue itself. She said it “lacked the specialist staff and expertise needed for hospitality and events”.
Cllr Richardson said: “Weddings [for instance] require dedicated teams, flexibility, and a strong customer-focused approach, which council structures aren’t designed for. With existing resources already committed to core services, the council would need significant new capacity and skills to deliver this effectively.”
Carrie Richardson, the deputy leader of Redcar and Cleveland Council(Image: UGC)
In response to a question from another Facebook user, she also said: “The venue should have an operator who is experienced and passionate about these type of events and I don’t think people with bookings would be very pleased about a council takeover and them delivering their weddings having never done it before.”
She added: “There is local and national interest. I have no doubt a better operator will be in place as soon as possible after it becomes vacant. The garden will be run and maintained, but will the new operator want to close and make kitchen or café alterations?
“I don’t know and wouldn’t want to speculate. Hopefully the now operator will be in place as this one leaves.”
One resident, who said he delivered local history talks at the gardens, said there had been four different general managers in the space of 12 months. Another described how staff and volunteers had “worked so hard to create the most beautiful inviting space”.
She said: “My thoughts are with them all and truly hope the council can come up with a much more sustainable way of running and saving this great local asset for the future. The garden and site has so much potential and deserves a bright and long-term future.”
The walled garden, situated off the A174 on the outskirts of Redcar and part of the historic Kirkleatham estate, re-opened to the public in 2021 after a £10m restoration project.
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