Groups given more time to plan for centre’s takeover

Members of Calderdale Council’s Cabinet have now decided to defer a decision for three months on whether or not the building should be handed over to one of two rival groups wishing to take it on.

The council will now work with the two groups to help them both develop their plans for the running of the site.

The two community organisations have submitted separate bids under the Council’s Community Management of Assets framework to take over the running of the building in Station Road.

Luddendenfoot Community Association runs community events linked to the building and has contributed to its maintenance while Luddendenfoot Community Youth and Sports Centre is a new group established specifically to set up and run the community centre. The building is currently used by community groups, including The United Reformed Church, Luddendenfoot Playgroup and uniformed youth organisations, such as the Boys’ Brigade.

But the building is in a poor condition and it is estimated that the cost of remedial work would be more than £330,000.

A report to Cabinet had identified significant weaknesses in both bids and recommended that members refuse transfer.

But the Cabinet decided that further work was needed to try to help both groups develop their plans for the building.

Calderdale Council’s Cabinet Member for Safer and Stronger Communities, Coun Pauline Nash, said the building would need a significant amount spending on it over the next 10 years.

She said it was important that whichever group took it over should be able to demonstrate that they would be able to afford to run it in the long term.

She said: “We are giving the two community groups concerned the opportunity for the whole issue to be revisited and will work with them in developing their plans. But we need to make sure that we make good progress on this, so it is right that we reconsider this in three months.”

Selling the building would have brought in £180,000 with planning and parking issues resolved, or £60,000 otherwise,