Plans to open a Community Hub in Beverley are likely to be rejected by Beverley Town Council. Under proposals, Beverley Town Council was exploring taking over the now vacant St Nicholas School building.
However, following a public consultation and viability study HU17 understands the numbers simply do not stack up.
Councillors from Beverley Town Council will meet this week. At the meeting, they will vote on if the project should be taken forward.
However, with a consultants report warning the cost of the project could be in excess of £2.5M it is likely to be rejected.
The figures reached included a mix of the acquisition of the building and also the cost to make it fit for purpose.
Sources at Beverley Town Council they are concerned about making what they say would amount to a financially reckless decision. They also warn the project would saddle the town with decades of debt.
Beverley Town Council had hoped that had the project taken off it would have been able to house a number of local services. These included voluntary groups, police and doctors surgery.
News that the Beverley Community Hub will not be pursued will come as shock to one of those interested parties. Track Fitness and Boxing Club were widely tipped to be one of the occupants.
Canning Of Community Hub Plans Bad News For One Local Group
Currently, based on Burden Road, the club has been given their marching orders by East Riding of Yorkshire Council.
The local authority wants the club out of their current building by 31 March so they can expand Adult Learning. Conservative, Cllr Jane Evison said that the club needed to leave as the council were not prepared to miss out on grants from the EU.
With the Community Hub now looking highly unlikely it will leave the club still no clearer on their future.
Their fate will now lay firmly in the hands of East Riding of Yorkshire Council. The authority, however, has made a pledge to find them a new home ahead of the eviction date.
While this may also be a blow for Beverley Town Council they are still thought to be looking for a new home for themselves.
As Leader of the Labour Group on Beverley Town Council, I am curious as to where HU17 has received its information on this and also concerned that this is published on the day an Extraordinary meeting of the Council is taking place to consider this decision. Who are the “sources” on the Town Council who have provided this information in breach of our published media policy? Is HU17 willing to name them?
I can assure your readers this does not come from the Labour Group. I ask Councillor Denis Healy if he is willing to enlighten me and the people of Beverley about information being given to the press which could be seen to be an attempt to influence the outcome of this evening’s discussion, and could prove prejudicial to the council’s proper decision-making process.
When the new council was elected last May we found evidence of problems with the budget process that have led to the people of Beverley being over-charged under the previous council, leading to the build-up of significant reserves for which they have received no benefits so far.
The Consultant’s estimate for the project has already been challenged as unrealistically high and only reflects only one of a number of possible scenarios. There are others to be discussed this evening. Negotiations with ERYC are not concluded. There is still much to fight for.
The Labour Group wants the town to have the community hub it deserves and needs, which does not inevitably involve the huge costs quoted in your article. The Lib Dems have talked a lot about a vision for the town and we have been happy to work constructively with them to achieve progress towards real value for tax payers’ money, and spending the reserves wisely. If they get cold feet now, they will have to answer to the people of Beverley at the ballot box.
As it is, I believe any member who has contacted the press in these terms should seriously consider their position as a Beverley Town Councillor. This evening’s meeting is open to the public; I recommend anyone feeling strongly on this matter who is available to attend should do so to speak in the public forum before the meeting begins.
Councillor Margaret Pinder, Leader, Labour Group, Beverley Town Council
At this evening’s Extraordinary Full Council meeting Councillor Healy gave me his assurance that he was not responsible for passing the information to HU17 that appears in this article and I have accepted his assurance.
As usual the Labour party wants to spend money it doesn,t have.There is no call for this so called community hub as they are already community operations in Cherry Tree Lane and Holme church Lane of long standing.Any costing are likely to be on the conservative side as history shows projects like this are just an excuse to spend,spend,spend.