Homes plan for centres

Members of Bassetlaw Council’s cabinet voted on Tuesday night to convert the facilities in Laburnum Road, Langold and Beverley Road, Harworth.

It comes after a detailed review of all community centres in the district found some were bringing in income of just £430 a year.

Laburnum was the least used of all the buildings, only being used six hours per week.

It is run by the local tenants and residents association, but the council says it will be more cost effective to convert it into a two bed flat.

“Where there is low usage we will bring these buildings into use as homes, providing more accommodation for residents in the district,” said council leader Coun Simon Greaves.

“It is a very sensible and positive solution indeed.”

Beverley Road in Harworth is the other centre earmarked for closure. It made just under £800 in fees in the last year.

So users of this centre will be relocated to the nearby Devonshire Road facility and the building remodelled into a two or three bed bungalow.

Other under performing community centres will be monitored over the coming months to see if more users can be brought in.

They include Worksop’s Kingston Road Community Centre, Rayton Spur, and the Balmoral Centre on Sandringham Road.

The Beeches, in Tuxford, is safe because it is the only community facility in the area.

And Cleveland Close in Carlton will be explored as a venue for a new YMCA project providing training for young people not in education, or employment.

The highest ranking community centres in Bassetlaw, according to income and hours used are Kilton Forest in Worksop - which rakes in £15,000 a year in charges - and Thievesdale in Worksop, and Hallcroft and Westhill in Retford.

Coun Alan Rhodes said: “The majority of community centres are well used and highly regarded facilities. However, there are a few which are not well used by the community and other uses need to be considered.”

“This review has highlighted the importance community centres play in our district.”

Coun David Pressley he was glad to see most centres in the district ‘doing well’ and hoped they would continue.