Question

The new estate on Montague Park has been provided with a community centre.  This community centre is, unfortunately, a completely empty shell.  There are no floors, toilets, or heating – never mind chairs, tables, an area to plug in a kettle or anything else which would make this community centre useable by the community.

A very dedicated church group are looking at how they could turn this empty shell into a functioning community centre.  They estimate that the cost of doing so will be around £260,000.  They are actively seeking grants, but raising this amount of money is clearly a major challenge for any local voluntary organisation.

If it’s possible to raise this kind of money and get the building fitted out, there is then another problem.  There will be substantial running costs. 

The empty shell which has been provided is directly underneath flats.  This means that it could be suitable for running quiet daytime events, for example a prayer group, parent and toddler group, or a coffee morning for the elderly.  These groups are unlikely to raise the level of funds which would be needed to keep the centre going.  The community centre would not be suitable for parties or most other evening events, which limits the amount of income that it can generate.

What does the Council now plan to do with this facility, in order to provide Montague Park residents with a community centre?

Question

The new estate on Montague Park has been provided with a community centre.  This community centre is, unfortunately, a completely empty shell.  There are no floors, toilets, or heating – never mind chairs, tables, an area to plug in a kettle or anything else which would make this community centre useable by the community.

A very dedicated church group are looking at how they could turn this empty shell into a functioning community centre.  They estimate that the cost of doing so will be around £260,000.  They are actively seeking grants, but raising this amount of money is clearly a major challenge for any local voluntary organisation.

If it’s possible to raise this kind of money and get the building fitted out, there is then another problem.  There will be substantial running costs. 

The empty shell which has been provided is directly underneath flats.  This means that it could be suitable for running quiet daytime events, for example a prayer group, parent and toddler group, or a coffee morning for the elderly.  These groups are unlikely to raise the level of funds which would be needed to keep the centre going.  The community centre would not be suitable for parties or most other evening events, which limits the amount of income that it can generate.

What does the Council now plan to do with this facility, in order to provide Montague Park residents with a community centre?

Answer

The infrastructure requirement for the South Wokingham SDL includes new or improved local shopping parades north and south of the railway line and one community facility to be located south of the railway line.

Whilst there was no requirement for a community facility north of the railway line, the Council was successful in securing a small, additional community facility in the local centre on Montague Park funded by the developers. This facility is over and above what infrastructure contribution the developer was required to provide but unfortunately did not include a commitment to funding the fitting out of the facility.

It was left to the Council to identify how to fund the balance for the fit out of the facility; which we are continuing to address.  Central to this work have been discussions with local groups to explore options on how the facility will be used and how to find the resources to get it operational. The Council has a preference for local community facilities to be operated by local community groups or organisations, which is why the majority of our work on finding a solution for Montague Park has focused on this outcome.

It is expected that the new community facility in Montague Park will be handed over to the Council sometime next summer (2020). 

As with all community facilities provided by the Council, we would want them to be flexible and adaptable spaces that are able to be accessed by the local community for a wide variety of uses.  The Council does not want this facility to stand empty or go unused and we are committed to finding a solution to making it operational before it is handed over to the Council next year.