Issue - meetings

Highwood Community Centre - Development Proposal and Construction Contract Award

Meeting: 30/01/2020 - Cabinet (Item 63)

63 Highwood Community Centre Development Proposal and Denne Ward Community Asset review pdf icon PDF 332 KB

To receive a report from the Cabinet Member.

Additional documents:

Decision:

RESOLVED

 

That  

i)     the Council commit to building an extended alternative facility at Highwood with a 240 m² hall and ancillary facilities including a nursery, subject to agreeing a pre-letting arrangement with a nursery operator;

 

ii)    an independent report in order to assess the current and future needs for community facilities in Horsham Town and the wider district be commissioned;

 

iii)   any viable option submitted for the future of the Drill Hall which accords with Council policies and was submitted during a period of two years (or until the completion of the new Highwood Community facility), would be considered by cabinet with a final recommendation to Full Council for approval; and;

 

iv)   Failing an alternative viable option coming forward within a period of two years to approve decommissioning of the Drill Hall to release this site for affordable housing on completion of the Highwood Community Centre.

 

Reasons for Recommendations

 

To rationalise the Council’s community assets to maximise their usefulness, reduce running costs and to reduce the Council’s carbon footprint.

 

Minutes:

The Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture reported that the Council wished to build a new and enhanced community centre at Highwood as part of the Land West of Horsham 2008 Master Plan on land transferred to the Council from Berkeley Homes.  The Council also wished to build affordable homes in Horsham Town Centre on the site of the old Drill Hall with some of its current users transferring to the brand new and specially designed community centre at Highwood.

 

The purpose of the report before was Cabinet to approve the decommissioning of the Drill Hall in order to release the site for affordable housing on completion of the Highwood Community Centre and to commit to building an extended facility at Highwood with a 240m2 hall and ancillary facilities.

 

A review has been undertaken to establish how existing Council owned community facilities in Denne were used, whilst being mindful of ease of access and changing population patterns resulting from major new housing developments. The primary objectives were to maximise community benefit from a facility, to reduce existing annual running costs and to help lower the Council’s carbon footprint.  The review showed that the building was old with high running costs and poor thermal efficiency and major capital expenditure would be required to extend the life of the Drill Hall.  The Hall was only used 10% of the hireable time at present and wasn’t really a community centre as it was favoured by private operators.  

 

Analysis showed that most of the Drill Hall current users could be accommodated at the Highwood site in an enhanced new purpose-built facility, with a sprung floor.   Such a building would also be attractive to the various ad hoc users of the Drill Hall who require a mid-size venue. 

 

The financial consequences of the proposal was set out in the report and in summary the benefit would be an anticipated revenue saving of £110k per year compared to building and retaining two facilities as community buildings.

 

There were a number of questions from the public that were addressed by the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture.

 

RESOLVED

 

That  

i)     the Council commit to building an extended alternative facility at Highwood with a 240 m² hall and ancillary facilities including a nursery, subject to agreeing a pre-letting arrangement with a nursery operator;

 

ii)    an independent report in order to assess the current and future needs for community facilities in Horsham Town and the wider district be commissioned;

 

iii)   any viable option submitted for the future of the Drill Hall which accords with Council policies and was submitted during a period of two years (or until the completion of the new Highwood Community facility), would be considered by cabinet with a final recommendation to Full Council for approval; and;

 

iv)   Failing an alternative viable option coming forward within a period of two years to approve decommissioning of the Drill Hall to release this site for affordable housing on completion of the Highwood  ...  view the full minutes text for item 63