Community Enterprise Centre

GOOD NEWS AT LAST

The long-awaited news that Coleford will have its new Community Enterprise Centre has been received. In November 1993, the Coleford Area Partnership’s Strategic Plan for the period to 2020 was submitted to The South West Regional Development Agency (SWRDA) and negotiations with the County Council and SWRDA have been on-going since then.

In the late 1990’s Gloucestershire County Council decided that the existing Community Centre in Bank Street would be closed and the land sold but it was not until the decision to provide a Disability Day Care Centre for Adults with Learning Disabilities had been made that things began to move forward. The original budget for this provision was £600,000.

Even then, the County was only intending that the Youth Service could use those premises during the evenings. This meant that the Community would only be able to use those very small premises on Friday evenings and weekends.

The Partnership, SWRDA and Coleford Town Council funded a Feasibility Study to show the requirements to include the community use and the recommendation was to build in front of the existing Community Centre. However, the County Council has made arrangements to build elsewhere, the site being commercially sensitive.

The Partnership worked together with the County Council and a two storey design was developed that was acceptable to all. A major blow struck when the Partnership were suddenly informed that the owner had sold the site to another party.

At this point, November 2006, The District Council identified the parking area between the GWR Railway Museum and Old Station Way as a possible site.

This month saw the culmination of all the hard work and the jubilant photograph on the front cover of the Forester on 23rd April shows the relief felt by all at this landmark point.

WHAT IS HAPPENING TO THE MONEY

SWRDA has provided the money for the District Council to purchase the Bank Street site from the County Council. That money has to be re-invested in the New Community Enterprise Centre that will now house the Youth Service and the Library. SWRDA has also provided the cash to pay for the Enterprise Centre section of the building and the County will provide the funds for the Disability Day Care Centre. The District Council has, in turn, provided the site for all this to happen.

WHAT’S NEXT

The design team is being led by the County Council with Architects Quattro of Gloucester and Contractors Moss of Cheltenham having already been appointed.
The intended completion of building is currently Summer 2009.

The premises will remain the property of the County Council and the Coleford Area MCTI Partnership will be awarded a lease for 25 years of the Enterprise Centre with option to renew. The Enterprise Centre will comprise small office units and hourly lettable rental space.

The Partnership has separately managed to access funding to ensure the fitting out of a kitchen to full catering standard. This means that the Elderly Persons’ Luncheon Clubs will both be able to continue and the kitchen will also be able to be used as a training facility controlled by the Partnership.

WHAT ABOUT BANK STREET

The existing Community Centre will not close until the new premises are fully operational. Once this has happened, the existing premises will be closed and services disconnected.
The site is now in the ownership of the District Council and plans for redevelopment will include the landlocked site at the rear, below Parkside, already in the ownership of the District Council will also be brought into use.
However, this can not take place until the problems of Coleford’s sewers has been resolved.

PUBLIC CONSULTATION

A public consultation event was held in the existing Community Centre on 21st May. More than a hundred people attended and all comments received were passed on to the County Council and the design team.
Residents of 26 to 40 Nash Way have been sent letters and the Partnership will press the County Council for the Planners to meet the residents to discuss their concerns.
The Partnership has also liaised between the owners of the GWR Railway Museum and the design team to ensure the access for rolling stock is maintained.
The drawings should be submitted for Planning Approval in September.