Delight as new centre gets the go-ahead
Published Date:
13 May 2008
By Rachel Hine
Fears over the demolition of a popular community centre were put to rest last night as councillors promised to build a new one.
Users of Portchester Community Centre had been concerned over its future as a report revealed the crumbling 1960s building would cost £750,000 to fix.
But councillors at an executive meeting last night agreed to build a new centre after it is flattened in 2011.
Centre manager Sarah Moss said: 'We all know the centre is old and needs replacing, and it would be a waste of money to try to repair it.
'But we were worried whether a new centre would be built.
'Thankfully, the council has committed itself to taking care of both those issues and so I'm absolutely delighted. I could not have wished for a better decision.
'It's business as usual.'
The centre has various health and safety risks, such as inadequate fire escapes on the first floor, high levels of asbestos in building materials and poor electrical installation.
In the interest of public safety, the council has also decided to close off the first floor in the next few months but will provide temporary accommodation for the users.
More than 3,500 people use the centre every week.
The full article contains 215 words and appears in NS-City newspaper.
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Last Updated:
13 May 2008 10:13 AM
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Source:
NS-City
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Location:
Portsmouth
