PLANS to convert Westbury’s former youth centre into a community centre have moved a step closer following a formal application to hand over ownership of the Wiltshire Council building to a local community group.
If successful, the building off Eden Vale Road, which closed four years ago after falling victim to Wiltshire Council dismantling its youth service, could become a vibrant community hub, offering space to local groups and organisations.
Currently involved in the project are Wiltshire College, who would use the centre as an outpost, delivering training courses to all ages, Westbury Youth Football Club, Superstars – a club run for children in the school holidays, Westbury Shed, and Westbury Juniors and Infants schools.
The centre could also house a community internet cafe, office space and be hired for use by businesses such as local pre-schools.
The application for the community asset transfer has been made by the Westbury Community Project (Wilts), and chair of trustees of the group, Richard Hatt, who is also headteacher of Westbury Juniors School, says that the centre is something much-needed by the town, describing Westbury as ‘the poor relation to Wiltshire’.
At this month’s Westbury Area Board meeting, Richard said, “Why are we doing this? 35% of children are living in poverty in our area compared to 20% across England. 33% of adults have no qualifications in our Westbury area, compared to 22% in England. We have got an area that is crying out for development, we’ve got a school smack bang in the middle of it, which has got in it children living in the bottom 10% in terms of poverty in the nation.
“I believe this community centre could act as a catalyst to improving the life chances of the community, not just the children, but the community. We believe we can change lives in the long term.”
“We are asking this area board for not just their support, but that the area board puts pressure on Wiltshire Council to move this community asset transfer to the next step.
“I know there are other community asset transfers in the pipeline, but for the benefit of Westbury, I’ve been head of Westbury Juniors for 16 years and I have seen what is happening for Westbury – we have been the poor relation to Wiltshire for too long. There’s not enough given to Westbury to help us, to move us up as a community. So I’m asking you as the area board to put pressure on the council so that we move forward – so that we get the asset transfer as soon as possible, so that we can establish this community project.
“We have an asset in the heart of our area where we need to make the greatest change and improvement and we have a local community saying ‘yes’ we want this change.”
Whilst no decision could be made by the area board regarding the application, councillors voted in favour to ask Wiltshire Council to prioritise the request. “Councils should bring this to a point where we can make a decision sooner rather than later,” said cllr Gordon King.
Community engagement manager for Westbury, Liam Cripps, explained that the application currently sits with Wiltshire Council’s strategic assets and facilities management team, who will make comments. These will then be presented in a report form for the area board to consider when they make their decision.
