Impasse after homes scheme put foward

CENTRE AT Threeways Director and Trustee Lawrence Fear explained the charity’s view of what had gone on and reiterated they were grateful for extensive council help.

A financial solution would have been through a housing scheme for 55 homes at the back of the site, drawn up with a potential £750,000 benefit if the land was sold to a developer.

But the charity’s request to go ahead with this was turned down by the council within weeks and the trust asked to surrender the lease on health and safety grounds, mainly because of lack of an adequate fire safety system, since been resolved with the council’s help, he said.

Although contentious,

Centre at Threeways believed the council wanted the lease surrendering as it could save on paying rental costs and would get benefit of the housing scheme if it pursued it itself, Mr Fear told scrutiny board.

The most important thing was the future, he agreed: “We are not asking for the status quo continuing, we realise help is needed to go forward.”

The council’s Director for Regeneration and Strategy, Mark Thompson, said the object was to sustain uses of the centre while returning short term management backto the council to get the estates fully compliant with Health and Safety law and ensure maintenance priorities could be undertaken. “That’s a serious matter if it is not done properly,” he said.

Mr Thompson said in officers’ view, short term, radical action is needed.