Youth club development in jeopardy?

 

A LONG awaited project to redevelop Portishead's youth club could be in jeopardy - because of a wrangle over the lease for the building.

North Somerset Council is refusing to give the go ahead for a £620,000 project to refurbish the Harbour Road centre because it wants Portishead Town Council to take on the maintenance of the building.

North Somerset Council owns the youth club but leases the land on which it sits from Portishead Town Council.

The 99-year lease, which was agreed when the club opened in 1966, still has 54 years to run.

North Somerset Council is currently looking to offload a number of its public buildings as part of cost cutting measures.

It wants to relinquish the lease - which means it is responsible for maintaining and repairing the building - and transfer it to Portishead Town Council.

But councillors have so far refused, because taking on the lease would mean the town council would be responsible for the building and the costs of maintaining it.

The future of the development now hangs in the balance until the lease issue is resolved.

Portishead Town Council chairman, Councillor David Pasley, said: "The town council neither has the resources or the manpower to take on the responsibility for the building and its ongoing maintenance.

"A binding contract is in place between the town council and North Somerset.

"However, negotiations are continuing and we hope this matter can be resolved.

"The youth centre is in need of investment, the money is available and I would not want anything to happen which would jeopardise the future development of the club."

The day to day running of the youth centre is the responsibility of the management committee, which is run by a team of volunteers.

North Somerset Council funds the youth work out of the centre, which opens four nights a week, and this would not change.

Final plans for the revamp of the building, which would see the hall refurbished, a new entrance built and a special needs area created, are due to be finalised this month and a planning application is expected to be submitted later this summer.

The project is being funded by £350,000 of 106 planning agreement cash, £75,000 from the Nautical School Trust, cash from the authority's sale of its council houses two years ago and £100,000 from Portishead Town Council.

Other cash for the project has been raised locally through donations and fund raising events.

A meeting between councillors and management committee representatives is due to take place later this month to discuss the lease issues further.

Portishead Youth Club management committee chairman, Ros Cruse, said: "We are making progress with the plans for the redevelopment.

"We are hoping that by the time planning permission is granted the issues around the lease will have been resolved."

A North Somerset spokesman said that negotiations regarding the lease arrangements were continuing.