Burnham-On-Sea and Highbridge town councillors have turned down a proposal from a housing developer for the council to take over ownership of a proposed new community hall in the town.
Countrywide Partnership is building the huge new 248-home Isleport Grove housing development in Isleport Lane, Highbridge.
Under the terms of its S106 planning agreement, it has to provide commnunity facilities at the site and the developer has proposed to construct a new community hall, pictured here, and invite the Town Council to take on the ownership and management.
However, town councillors have raised concern over the need for another community facility given that the town has several existing community halls.
These include Highbridge Community Hall in Market Street, the Morland Hub, the Southwell Gardens Community Hall, the Trowbridge Close Community Hub, the YMCA, and several church halls.
Cllr Ganesh Gudka told the meeting: “I have spoken to several people and have yet to ascertain any demand for this building. Taking on something like that would be an extra burden on the council and I do worry it would compete with the existing facilities in Highbridge. It would be better to concentrate investment in those in my view. My preference would be to keep an open space there.”
Cllr Sharon Perry added: “It’s not far from other facilities – I can’t see how we can take on a community hall at the moment. What other community facilities can they provide – possibly a shop? They need to do something bearing in mind the large number of people that will live there. It should be a community asset but not necessarily one that we run.”
Cllr Barbara Vickers agreed: “There are plans for various While I agree we can’t take this on, it would be nice to see it retained as a community facility.”
Mayor Cllr Lesley Millard added: “I would suggest the clerk goes back to the developer and we say that we don’t want it, but we would like to influence what does happen. In our planning notes it would either go to additional affordable housing or the monies would be allocated to other community facilities in Highbridge.”
Countrywide Partnership says: “The S106 planning agreement is silent on who should take on the management of the building. Usually community facilities such as these either get transferred at nil cost to the District Council or the Town/Parish Council.”
“We have spoken to Somerset Council about the facility, and they are not able to take it on at this time and suggested that we contact the Town Council to see if this is something you would be interested in taking transfer of ownership of the building and be responsible for its future management. The Community Centre needs to be built to shell and core by the end of December 2024.”
Councillors resolved that the Town Council would not take on the ownership of the proposed new Community Centre. The Town Clerk will liaise with the developer regarding other community uses for the space at the site.
