A short update will be given on the relocation of current users of the Raven Centre.
Minutes:
Steve Goddard, Head of Community Services, gave the following update:-
“As reported at the previous Ward Community Meeting the overwhelming response was that the 55th Scout Hut would be leased to the Forgotten Estates Group and the Raven Youth Centre be leased to the As-Salaam Trust. After the completion of the negotiations the Head Terms of the Lease agreements for both buildings have now been signed.
The 55th had its Open Day on Saturday and the Council will continue to support the Forgotten Estates Group with advice and guidance as and when required.
The As-Salaam Trust will be leasing the Raven Centre from Monday 1st April 2013.
The Youth sessions will be unaffected and they will still meet on Monday, Tuesday and Thursday and will move to the community centre. There will be some refurbishment work that has been agreed in consultation with the young people currently attending the youth sessions. This will provide additional facilities for the young people and the community to access including a kitchenette in the annex. The Council will continue to work with the young people to make sure they are involved with the changes to the building.
The Community Book Loan Scheme will be relocated to the Lounge within the Community Centre and will be more easily accessible for local residents to bring and share reading material.
The Bowls Club will continue to use the Raven Centre until the outdoor season begins in May and it is proposed that they will use the Raven from October for the indoor season.
The other two groups currently using the Raven have been relocated within the Community Centre and they will start their new sessions after Easter.
The Council is aware of the feelings of local residents that the Raven Centre would be lost by the local community. The Council has negotiated a clause within the lease agreement with the As-Salaam Trust to ensure that the community can continue to have access to the building and As-Salaam have confirmed that The Raven will continue to be available for hire to the community.
The Council will continue to provide support to the Thurnby Lodge Community Centre and work with the Community Association to develop the facility.”
The following concerns were then raised during debate on this item:-
· Why were the young people moved out of The Raven?
· Information had been circulated locally that the Bowls group would be moved to the Manor. It was understood that this information was given on good authority.
In response, Steve Goddard confirmed that:-
o Agreement had been reached between the Council and the Bowls group about the facilities it would use. The group would continue to use The Raven until 2 May 2013. It would then be outdoors for the bowls season and would return to The Raven in October; and
o Meetings had been held with the three groups that would be relocated from The Raven to discuss this.
In reply, residents stressed the importance of honouring the commitment that the Bowls group would return to The Raven in October.
· The Community Association would be affected by this the most, so why was it not consulted before?
· It was being said that the library would be moved to the 55th Scout Hut and it had been stated that a selection of books would be placed in the lounge there. This was not a library and no-one would feel comfortable there. No notice had been taken of the Community Association on this, as a result of which the Council had let down its longest standing tenants.
There would be protests over the proposals for the library, including a petition to the Council, as residents were not prepared to lose their library.
· How was the Council able to justify giving away a facility to a group that was not from the area and which did not integrate?
· Problems were being experienced with parking at The Raven. For example, on 21 March 2013 paths and the bus route had been blocked by parked vehicles and other vehicles were parked on the grass. Photographs of this were available.
Steve Goddard advised the meeting that the Council was aware of these issues. Discussions had been held between the City Mayor and officers and with the Community Association about use of the car park. As a result, Council traffic officers had been asked to look at the parking provision and access to it.
The Community Association would be advised of the outcome of this. In the meantime, work would continue on addressing the situation.
· As As-Salaam was a religious group, it would be holding events at different times of the year, so the Bowls group would have to go elsewhere at those times.
· The Raven was a youth centre and belonged to the community, but the community would not be able to use it.
· Account had not been taken of the views of people who had lived in the area all their lives and had fought over the years to bring facilities in to the area. This included the hard work that had been done to improve youth provision in the area.
· An inventory of the equipment in The Raven was needed, as some of it belonged to the Community Association and needed to be shared with other facilities in the area.
Steve Goddard acknowledged this and advised that:-
o The Council’s Youth Services were helping with the removal of equipment. They also would help with moving the Community Association’s equipment.
o The bowls mats would be stored in Thurnby Lodge Youth and Community Centre.
· The Council should hold proper discussions and not “rail-road” people in to things.
· As-Salaam wanted to be involved in the community, so should allow the users of The Raven to stay there. A lease had not been signed yet, so why could other arrangements not be made for the time that As-Salaam wanted to use the centre? This would enable the centre to stay in community use.
In response, Steve Goddard confirmed that a lease had been signed and would take effect from 1 April 2013.
· When As-Salaam had used the Ocean Road Community Centre many problems had been experienced, (for example, with cars parking around the Centre, car doors slamming and children running about in the road). This had gone on for a year.
In response, Steve Goddard reminded the meeting that As-Salaam had used the Ocean Road Community Centre for a few weeks, not a year.
During this discussion, concern also was raised that there appeared to be racism in the views being expressed about As-Salaam’s use of The Raven, which was detrimental to the debate.
Due to general disorder in the meeting, the Chair declared the debate on this item closed.