Decision details

1.  That, subject to KCC obtaining planning permission, Senacre Community Hall and land, shown in Appendix 1 of the Report of the Assistant Director of Development and Community Strategy, required for its extension as a Vocational Skills Studio be declared surplus to requirements.

2.  That, subject to KCC obtaining planning permission, a lease be granted to Kent County Council to extend and convert Senacre Community Hall for use as a Vocational Skills Studio for 14-19 year olds, incorporating a nursery and with provision for community uses such as a youth club.

3.  That delegated authority be given to the Corporate Property Manager  to negotiate and agree terms with Kent County Council provided that he is satisfied that the terms of the disposal represent the best consideration reasonably obtainable for the land.

4.  That delegated authority be given to the Head of Legal Services to enter into the lease on the terms agreed with Kent County Council

In April 2009 the Cabinet Member for Leisure and Culture agreed to allow the conversion of Senacre Community Hall into a Vocational Skills Studio for the reasons set out in the report. The Hall was considered outside the Community Hall Asset Review as the agreement with KCC presented an opportunity to convert an under used asset into a facility to meet Corporate Objectives. The proposal at the time from Kent County Council required an extension to the Hall onto surrounding land that would have resulted in loss of public open space amounting to 1660 sq m. Consent was given in April 2009 to advertise the loss of open space in accordance with Section 123 of the Local Government Act 1972. No objections to the loss of this open space were received.

A public consultation event took place in July 2009 to explain to residents and other stakeholders the plans for the Hall. Following the public consultation a number of changes were made to the initial design. These included repositioning the new pre-school building and play area away from neighbouring houses and the introduction of new youth club facilities.

The changes to the designs resulted in a loss of public open space which differed from the Section 123 notice that was advertised in 2009. The difference between the two areas is not significant, being only 93 sq m larger than originally proposed. A new Section 123 notice was however advertised in February 2010. No objections were received to the loss of this open space.

Kent County Council has submitted a planning application which will be considered by the Planning Committee on the 20 May 2010. The revised plans include provision for vocational skills training, a café, sports/youth club, purpose built nursery, refurbished changing rooms available for hire alongside the sports pitches, and community rooms for hire. Careers advice and adult education training opportunities will be delivered from the centre.  If planning approval is granted, Kent County Council will commence work on the building at the end of July 2010. Any lease would be the subject of KCC obtaining planning permission.

An alternative option would be to do nothing. However as stated in the Cabinet report on the Management of Lettable Community Halls in February 2009 the Hall operates at a loss and it has not been possible to find a community organisation willing to take on the management of the Hall. No community organisation has been able to come up with a viable business model to manage the hall on a self sustaining basis.

Another alterative option would be to close the Hall. Whilst this would reduce the costs to the Council, the nursery would be displaced and there would still be a cost in terms of insuring the building, security and dealing with damage and vandalism.

Another alternative action would be to consider the redevelopment and or sale of the Hall for another use e.g. residential or commercial. However the loss of the Community Hall would be contrary to policy CF3 of Maidstone Borough Wide Local Plan 2000 and QL11 of the Kent and Medway Structure Plan 2006, which aim to protect Community Halls.