The ability of Croydon’s cabinet member for culture to do his job has been called into question after he failed to attend a public meeting to address the planned closure of Fairfield Halls.

More than 300 people attended a meeting held by campaign group Save our Fairfield at the venue last night - but Councillor Timothy Godfrey cabinet member for culture, was not one of them.

Council leader Tony Newman was also a no-show for the meeting but offered an apology to the group for his absence.

Five Conservative councillors, including Lynne Hale, shadow cabinet member for culture, attended the meeting.

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Andy Hylton, a technician at the halls who has led the Save Our Fairfield campaign, said: “I would question whether he is fit for the job really and whether there should be someone else there that cares more about culture than him.

“He blatantly disregarded the invitation and didn’t make himself available to meet us even though we sent initial letters out about this meeting last month.

“We asked them about various dates they were available, in every possible way we made it easy for them all to attend.

“I don’t want to go along black-marking every one of them but I do think Councillor Godfrey, given it is his role, he should have attended and answered these questions.

Mr Hylton said there were "a lot of feelings towards" Cllr Godfrey among those at last night's meeting in the Arnhem Gallery.

He added: "It was not disappointment, it was anger that an elected official like him can just blatantly disregard all of the electorate when it is a genuine concern.

“The people I vote for are the people I want to speak for me because that is their job and he is not doing that.

“We just demand that he comes out of his hole and starts talking to us because we are not going away.”

Cllr Hale said no Labour councillors made themselves known at the meeting.

She added: “I find it really sad that somebody doesn’t take their cabinet role as responsibly as perhaps they should do.

“We are there to represent constituents and I don’t know if that is being done very well.

“It is disappointing when a cabinet member doesn’t at least come and face the people.”

Cllr Godfrey said: "It was made clear to the campaign that no one from the council was going to attend. I am currently on a family holiday that was booked months ago.

"The campaign has consistently rejected every answer we have given them.

"The Fairfield will reopen in two years and we will have saved the taxpayer an additional £8m on a phased development."

Last night he took to Twitter during the meeting to promote the planned closure of the halls.

In February a five-month feud over the future of the halls came to an end as the venue's board agreed to shut for two years, paving the way for £750m plans for a cultural quarter in the town centre – including a £30m redevelopment of the venue.

RELATED: 220 staff to lose jobs when Fairfield Halls closes - but Croydon Council's culture spokesman says closure 'helps them'

Seventy full-time employees are to be made redundant and a further 150 temporary and part-time staff will be out of work when the curtain falls on the venue on July 15.

Long-awaited plans to overhaul the dated building and transform it into a venue to "outdo the South Bank" were into first unveiled in October, sparking a noisy debate about the impact of the closure would have on Croydon's cultural scene.

Fairfield’s chief executive Simon Thomsett last year warned the loss of staff would mean the venue “starting from scratch” in 2018.

RELATED: Major plans to transform Fairfield Halls and 'outdo the South Bank' unveiled

RELATED: Croydon Council 'can't afford' phased closure of Fairfield Halls

This week The Theatres Trust wrote to the council recommending an advisory peer review be carried out before the venue is closed.

The letter said: “The Trust is concerned the scheme is being advanced, and significant capital has been committed, without the involvement of a theatre/venue operator.

“The council must be sure the scheme meets the needs of the end user, particularly if a commercial operator is to be sought otherwise the viability of the Halls in the long run may be compromised.

“The Trust strongly recommends a new operator is selected, or the existing operator is retained, and is involved in the design before proceeding with the scheme.”

What do you think? Email letters@croydonguardian.co.uk