A way forward
The newly formed Omega Centre Management Committee sent this message to the Portsmouth Elementary Education Trustees (PEET): Cllr Hugh Mason, Cllr
Ryan Brent, Cllr Suzy Horton, Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson and Cllr Terry Norton . These councillors are the trustees who own the Omega Centre, a vibrant arts, sports and wellbeing venue in the heart of Somers Town:
The Omega Centre Users’ group resolved at their meeting on November 25 to form the Omega Centre Management Committee – to manage the building by and for the benefit of the users – and to inform the trustees and city council of our decision.
Rather than selling the building, which would render its future uncertain, we request that the Omega Centre is retained in its current ownership by the PEET. This would avoid the PEET having to obtain permission from the Charity Commission to remove the charitable remit and use of the school building before any sale – as advised by SAVE Britain’s Heritage.
If the building is sold to the council, our current activities and future plans are likely to be put in jeopardy, leaving the current groups that occupy it homeless. Space in the city for community activity, which is so important as we begin to recover from Covid-19, is scarce. We therefore ask you as trustees to enter into discussion with us about your aims for the building, so that we can work with you to plan its future. The repairs you have already identified need to be carried out. There maybe grant aid to fund them. We are making this request before you make any irrevocable decision. We need to know what you are going to do, so we can influence what is planned – in the context of the replies to your consultation we have already sent you.
If you do not agree to this, if the building is sold to the council, we would request that the Omega Centre is transferred to the council's sports and leisure department, which would value our current contribution to the city more highly than the trustees appear to do. The city’s purchase of the New Theatre Royal and lease back to its trustees might be a precedent, and the Hot Walls studios offer a very positive example of how much investment in a councilowned building for culture and leisure is valued. The Sustainable Conservation Trust and others would provide professional help in developing our business plan.
The Charity Commission has been informed of this request to you as the PEET. We look forward to discussing the building’s future with you.
Celia Clark, Convener Omega Centre Management Committee