Resident challenges centre's transfer to church
Wednesday, 4th March 2015.
The proposed transfer of Chalkstone Community Centre to the River Of Life Church has been challenged by a resident during the public forum of Haverhill Town Council this week.
St Edmundsbury Borough Council is planning to transfer the centre to the church for a nominal cost, on condition that it continues to be run as at present for the benefit of the community.
Resident John Burns asked members why Haverhill Town Council had not agreed to take over the Chalkstone Centre on this basis, as they had recently done with the Leiston Centre.
Town mayor Cllr Roger Andre told him they had taken over the Leiston Centre as an act of last resort because there was no one else prepared to do it.
When they were approached some time ago about the Chalkstone Centre they had been unable to extract from the borough council any details of its financial or structural condition, so they were not prepared to take it on at that time.
Mr Burns said no one in the Chalkstone area had been consulted about the takeover, and many residents were not happy with the proposal.
Cllr Andre said the town council had not been officially notified either, but they did not anticipate the River Of Life takeover would diminish the centre's community value in any way.
The River Of Life has confirmed it is still pressing ahead with its pans to build a new 350-person church in Chapelwent Road.
The church had given an assurance the centre would not be used for anything different from what it was used for at present.
Mr Burns had suggested it would make a good home for the planned 'youth hub', but Cllr Andre said advice was that a central location for that was vital so it did not become associated with any one particular estate in the town.
Mr Burns said he knew the centre currently made a small profit, and now it was just being given to the River Of Life, without local consultation.
St Edmundsbury Borough Council is planning to transfer the centre to the church for a nominal cost, on condition that it continues to be run as at present for the benefit of the community.
Resident John Burns asked members why Haverhill Town Council had not agreed to take over the Chalkstone Centre on this basis, as they had recently done with the Leiston Centre.
Town mayor Cllr Roger Andre told him they had taken over the Leiston Centre as an act of last resort because there was no one else prepared to do it.
When they were approached some time ago about the Chalkstone Centre they had been unable to extract from the borough council any details of its financial or structural condition, so they were not prepared to take it on at that time.
Mr Burns said no one in the Chalkstone area had been consulted about the takeover, and many residents were not happy with the proposal.
Cllr Andre said the town council had not been officially notified either, but they did not anticipate the River Of Life takeover would diminish the centre's community value in any way.
The River Of Life has confirmed it is still pressing ahead with its pans to build a new 350-person church in Chapelwent Road.
The church had given an assurance the centre would not be used for anything different from what it was used for at present.
Mr Burns had suggested it would make a good home for the planned 'youth hub', but Cllr Andre said advice was that a central location for that was vital so it did not become associated with any one particular estate in the town.
Mr Burns said he knew the centre currently made a small profit, and now it was just being given to the River Of Life, without local consultation.
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