Council rescue act on Wirral community centre threatened with closure (From Wirral Globe)

Council rescue act on Wirral community centre threatened with closure

11:51am Friday 3rd February 2012 in News By Geoff Barnes

WIRRAL Council has stepped in to prevent the closure of a popular community enterprise which has been hit by a series of setbacks.

Leasowe Millennium Centre, opened in 2001, is built in a deprived area and provides services to the local community such as a library, cafe, offices for local organisations and community space for hire.

Leasowe Development Trust, which has managed and operated the building, recently approached the council to say it was no longer in a position to take a lease of the building or to run it.

The trust pointed to a reduction in government grants to several tenants, compelling them to leave the building and causing a significant lessening of LDT income.

They had also suffered significant reductions in their own funding from external grants and there was a lack of new tenants to fill the space vacated.

The trust has also incurred significant costs with the departure of a Women's Centre following a lengthy dispute.

Now the council, which owns the freehold interest of the building, has taken immediate responsibility for its management to ensure continuity of services for local residents.

The council's cabinet was told last night that discussions with the trust had confirmed that unless the council took urgent action to address the situation the centre would be forced to close.

Measures approved by the cabinet – including a £160,000 budget allocation for the coming year and for running costs for the present financial year to be met from the council's general fund balances – will allow time for options to be investigated to bring vacant space back into use and to put in place sustainable arrangement's for the centre’s future management.

The LDT has surrendered its interest in the centre but has indicated that it wants to retain offices in part of the building to continue operations.

Director of law Bill Norman has been instructed to report to a future meeting of the cabinet on long term options for the operation and management of the centre.