Portchester Community Centre - Information

Councillor Seán Woodward, Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council chaired a special Community Action Team meeting at Cams Hill School on 21st July 2010. The meeting was attended by over 300 people and the audience was informed about the progress being made towards securing a new community centre in Portchester. 

Please find below some of the key questions and answers from that meeting along with the minutes. (120 kb)

Q. Why does Portchester need a new Community Centre?

The existing community centre has reached the end of its economic life and has experienced significant maintenance and repair problems e.g. the extensive presence of asbestos-containing materials, water ingress and the electrical installation being in poor condition.

Q. When will the Community Centre be closing?

Portchester Community Centre is owned by Fareham Borough Council and leased to Portchester Community Association. The current lease is due to expire in March 2011.

The Council has agreed, in principle, to issue a new lease to Portchester Community Association upon the expiry of the current lease in March 2011 to occupy the Community Centre for a further period of up to 3 years (to March 2014). 

A new lease will be awarded subject to the existing building requiring no further capital expenditure by Fareham Borough Council and presenting no health and safety risks to people visiting or using the Community Centre. 

The Council has commissioned a full survey from independent chartered surveyors to help inform discussions about a new 3 year lease.

Discussions with Portchester Community Association about the new lease will commence in August 2010. 

Q. Where will the new Community Centre be built?

Councillor Woodward, the Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council, confirmed that the new Community Centre will be built at the current site at Westlands Grove (subject to planning approval).

Q. How much will it cost to build a new Community Centre?

A new community centre of 900 square metres (equivalent to the ground floor of the existing centre) will cost approximately £2 million to build (excluding land costs).

Q. Why doesn't the Council just get on and build a new Community Centre?

In these difficult financial times the Council does not have the necessary funds available to build a new community centre. 

Q. Why doesn't Hampshire County Council contribute towards the cost of building a new Community Centre?

Councillor Thornber, Leader of Hampshire County Council pledged £1,000,000 towards the cost of building a new Community Centre in Portchester mostly from a purchase of the existing site with it being leased back to Fareham Borough Council (£600,000) and a contribution to provide the children's centre element of the project (£400,000).

(This leaves a funding shortfall of £1,000,000 to be found by Fareham Borough Council and/or Portchester Community Association and the local community.)

Q. Why doesn't the Council just borrow the money to build a new Community Centre?

The Council would need to borrow £1 Million and make repayments of approximately £71,000 per annum. This would require an increase of around £1.66 per household on the average Council Tax across the whole Borough every year for the next 20 years.

The cost of borrowing such a large sum would result in the Council Tax being increased by an unacceptable amount to fund the loan repayments and would restrict the Council's ability to raise additional funds in future years to meet the costs of new corporate priorities and/or statutory duties.

Q. How is the Council going to raise the money to build a new Community Centre?

The Council is reviewing all assets (land and or buildings) it owns within the Portchester area and exploring the possibility of selling these assets to help raise money for a new community centre.

As a part of this the Council is also exploring the option of releasing some land in the car park to the south of Portchester precinct for a commercial development. The proceeds from the sale of the commercial development opportunity would go towards funding a new community centre in Portchester.

Some concern has been expressed about this option and the possible loss of car parking spaces and or its potential impact on the shopping precinct. The Council will consult fully before making any final decision on the viability of this option.

It is important to note that the project to build a new community centre in Portchester cannot proceed if the Council and/or Portchester Community Association or local community are unable to raise the additional £1,000,000.

Q. Who is involved in the project to provide a new Community Centre?

Local Ward Councillors and officers meet periodically with the Trustees of Portchester Community Association and the Manager of the Community Centre.

Copies of the notes of these meetings and correspondence have been provided for public display within the Community Centre.

The Council's Executive has received a number of reports about this topic (copies of which are available on the Council's website).

In addition, Councillor Woodward (Executive Leader of Fareham Borough Council) and Councillor Thornber (Leader of Hampshire County Council) attended the special Community Action Team Meeting held at Cams Hill School on Wednesday 21 July.

Q. How can residents get involved?

If you have any ideas on how the Council, Portchester Community Association or local community can raise the funds to build a new community centre, please write to Mark Bowler, Head of Leisure and Community at Fareham Borough Council or contact your Ward Councillor or the Trustees of Portchester Community Association (via the Manager of the Community Centre) and let them know your ideas.