School expansion scheme may include new community centre

South Gipton Community Centre, a single storey building on Brander Road has been the subject of complaints from residents who say it is in a poor condition and not much use.

It costs Leeds Council around £48,000 to maintain and generates no income because it is no longer fit for purpose and in a poor state of repair.

Increasingly it has become a target for vandalism and antisocial behaviour and the council’s Inner East Area Committee declared it surplus to operational requirements.

So the committee says it is minded to invest in a new community facility as part of the expan- sion plans for the expanding Wykebeck Primary School nearby.

The school wants to expand within its current site from 45 reception places to 60 and a report for the council says the site of the community centre has been identified as having the potential to provide valuable additional land for the school expansion.

The report, which discusses various options for the building’s future, says: “Wykebeck Primary School already hosts some community activities within their school for parents, and would welcome a community facility on site for such events, and for extra curriculum activities such as music clubs.

“GIPSIL, (a local voluntary organisation), would welcome a new facility which could be used to deliver advice sessions, and community activities which bring people together.

“The Youth Service have confirmed that they would provide activities and advice sessions from a new community facility.

“South Gipton Tenants & Residents Association, formed in September 2010, would use a facility for parents groups, advice sessions, bingo, coffee mornings.

“Local councillors would use the facility for surgeries, and it would also be used for meetings by the Area Committee and the Gipton Community Leadership Team.

“Some preparatory work has already been undertaken for this option. Plans have been drawn up for the community element of the school expansion.

“This would provide a space of 165sq metres, comprising a large hall, two small meeting rooms, storage, a kitchette and two toilets. The multi-use games area would be constructed in the school grounds.

“A new facility would form part an integral part of the school building.

“Ward members have raised concerns about the future of this community facility should the status of the school change at any time in the future.

“Should this happen, agreement would be put in place to ensure that continued community usage was secure.

“The consultation and discussions undertaken so far have generated a level of interest and expectation within the local community that the expansion of the primary school will include community provision.

“South Gipton Community Centre was closed due to being in a poor state of repair.

“An opportunity has arisen to replace the facilities lost by the closure of South Gipton with a new community facility within Wykebeck Primary School.”

However, the report admits that the council’s asset management board says instead that money should be used to undertake backlog maintenance in six other community centres within the Inner East Area Committee’s portfolio.

But the report says ward members’ preference is to invest in a new community facility within Wykebeck Primary School.

Coun Arif Hussain, (Lab, Gipton and Harehills), said: “It’s a good opportunity to build a new community centre which will cost almost half a million pounds.

“We are getting a lot of complaints because of the condition of the centre.”