– Today we are operating in violation of the Planning and Building Act and we feel compelled to close the activity that is there right now, says municipal director Stein Ole Bauer-Rørvik. In the autumn of 2010, the old industrial hall at Rognan in Saltdal municipality was used for concerts for the first time. The following year, the Blue Frost Festival moved into the building. Since then, the festival has been an annual phenomenon, before the pandemic put sticks in the wheels of large crowds. June 6, the municipality closes its doors to all activity until further notice. Cause? The building is still regulated for industrial purposes. Until now, the municipality, which owns the building, has operated on dispensation. – But when the mill is so much in use, we have to put our foot down for the activity as it is today, the municipal director continues. Sent notice to himself The five-storey building by the water’s edge has clear traces of the boat builders who previously worked there. At Slipen, everything is arranged from large concerts to weddings and conferences. The municipality, which both owns and is the supervisory authority for the building, had to threaten itself with fines if they did not take action. – It is true that notice has been sent of cessation of use as it is today. – Why is this decision coming right now? – The municipality has been familiar with the challenges for many years. This should really have been clarified a long time ago, says Bauer-Rørvik. He admits that one can ask questions about why the municipality has not taken action before. – It is something we must learn from in retrospect. The municipality has a special responsibility to comply with the law as a public authority. – A little shock Festival director Øivind Holthe in the Blue Frost Festival reacts to the closure coming right now. – It comes as a bit of a shock that the municipality is so busy when we have been here for 12 years and the building is only getting better and better. MANAGER: Øivind Holthe is head of the Blue Frost Festival at Rognan. Photo: Martin Losvik Holthe thinks it is worrying that the closure is coming now, after two canceled festivals due to a pandemic. – We have built a cultural building in an old industrial hall over several years, created more jobs and we have many thousands of guests every year. He denies that the closure is about the safety of the events on the Slipen stage. – We get approval from both police and fire at all events with the best shots. CULTURE: Slipen scene is located in an old industrial building on the quay at Rognan. Photo: Kasper Holgersen Expensive re-regulation The municipality has been working on a re-regulation for a long time, and received the last report in February on what it will cost to reach the technical requirements for cultural buildings. Price tag: Between 80 and 100 million kroner. – What drives the price is all the technical requirements that are set when re-regulating the building into a cultural building. We are talking about a complete renovation of the entire building, says the municipal director. It was thought that the municipal council in Saltdal was too expensive. In February, the municipality came on the infamous Robek list. The municipality therefore entered into a dialogue with the Blue Frost Festival to take over the building. – We are happy to do that, but we asked the municipality for two years, the festival director continues. The festival would then take responsibility for the re-regulation and the price tag that came with it. – The paradox here is that it is not more than one month since the municipal council decided that Blåfrost should be allowed to buy the building. But from 6 June, all activity in the building will be stopped. – Working under such framework conditions is not easy, says Holthe. Understands the criticism Municipal director Bauer-Rørvik says that he feels that Saltdal has had a good dialogue with the Blue Frost Festival. – I understand that it is a very difficult for the Blue Frost Festival. I understand that criticism is directed at the municipality. – What happens next now with Slipen? – We are very eager for Blåfrost to look at the possibilities of taking over the building as the municipal council has decided. Then we are still working on finding a solution to find a temporary change of use, so that the Blue Frost Festival can have time to change. We have not given up, and we are working hard on it. Whether we will succeed with a temporary change of use, we do not know yet, he says. What is at least certain is that upcoming events, everything from weddings to birthdays, at Slipen will be canceled. The sold-out Blue Frost Festival next February, on the other hand, will be held, the festival director promises. – We already have a plan B, and then we take the audience to another concert arena.
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Saltdal municipality closes Slipen stage – news Nordland
