You carried an article in last week's paper relating to the decision by Clevedon Town Council regarding funds it has allocated and set aside for the restoration of the Curzon Cinema. The article gave the impression to your readers that Clevedon Town Counc

You carried an article in last week's paper relating to the decision by Clevedon Town Council regarding funds it has allocated and set aside for the restoration of the Curzon Cinema.The article gave the impression to your readers that Clevedon Town Council had made a decision to withdraw this funding unless lottery funding is secured within the next 12 months. This is a misrepresentation of the council's decision, which we feel needs to be corrected.The Curzon has received tremendous support from Clevedon Town Council over a number of years and we are confident that such support will continue. We believe the council are as keen to see a full restoration of this historic international treasure as everyone else in the community.The town council has written to advise that they cannot indefinitely hold over the matched funding allocation that they set aside initially in 2001. We perfectly understand the council's decision and are looking forward to working with them on a timescale for drawing down the funding they have so generously allocated to this important heritage project.The council have told us they will continue to set this funding aside at least until the end of March 2008, which we believe gives us ample time to formulate a formal funding bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). We are certain the funding bid to the HLF will provide the council with the tangible progress on the restoration project that they quite rightly expect to see to continue to provide a matched funding allocation from public funds. The first phase of the restoration will be the roof, without which the restoration of other parts of the cinema cannot take place. As many of your readers will already know, we launched our Raise the Roof campaign during 2006 fronted by our patron Alan Rickman. We have been delighted by the public response to the Raise the Roof campaign. Anyone who has not yet contributed to the campaign and would like to do so can find full details on our web site www.curzon.org.uk or pick up a range of leaflets from the cinema foyer. We have no doubt that the strength that comes from the combined support we continue to receive from the local community and our local authorities, will see our restoration plans come to fruition.Chris Brain - Chair of Board of Trustees