Campaigners fear the impact of signing new leases that will make them responsible for the community centres, and the repairs that may be needed in the future
The Place Community and Activity Centre in Melrose Street, Sherwood(Image: Joseph Raynor/Reach PLC)
Community centre leaders and campaigners fear groups are being forced to sign new leases that will put them at risk of costly repair bills far too quickly.
Nottingham City Council is cutting a £612,000 subsidy that it provided to a number of community centres and the associations that run them.
It had said the old funding model was “not sustainable in the long term”.
Initially the Labour-led authority had been planning to agree new leases with community associations at market-level rents, meaning some groups could have had their costs go up by tens of thousands of pounds.
However this was scrapped following outcry – and because there was a risk some centres could be forced to close down.
A new plan to charge groups a flat fee to pay for a council officer to help manage the centres was proposed instead.
Associations now have until March 31 to agree to new leases that will make them responsible for the centres, and any and all repairs that may be needed in the future.
Peter Churchill, the chairman of The Place Activity Centre in Sherwood, said: “We are enthusiastic about getting a new long-term lease, because it gives us a route to access larger grants.”
But he said: “There are still a lot of bumps to overcome, and the council wants to shimmy us along.
“It is always quicker, quicker, quicker, but you cannot expect a group of non-professionals to do that. The vast majority of us do not have qualified solicitors and surveyors.
“It has been a bit rushed. The council set a deadline of March 31. But, as long as community centres are showing willing, why have this date?
“We are all coming at this at different speeds. We are all volunteers, the council seems to forget that.”
The council says the new operating model is “about giving communities more control”, with an aim to “empower community associations to bid for funding, strengthen their independence, and become more financially sustainable over time”.
Mr Churchill said it is “a bit disingenuous” of the council to say it is making the changes to empower community associations.
So far, community associations have been given template leases covering 25 years, but each lease has break clauses at year three, seven, and 10.
This, Mr Churchill says, could cause some issue with larger funding organisations, such as the National Lottery, which requires associations to have a guaranteed long-term lease.
“This for me is the real killer,” he said.
“As far as a grant giver is concerned, that could mean it could be a three-year lease because of the break clause.
“The council says it will write them a letter of comfort to grant givers to say they won’t be using the clause. But we do not think these letters will be sent out quick enough.”
Another problem, he says, concerns the lack of support to fund surveyors to make sure buildings are up to scratch.
He said the association wants to employ a surveyor, which comes at a cost between £2,000 and £2,500, as well as independent legal advice.
“If we sign this lease we want to be sure there is no asbestos in the building, because once we sign it we will be responsible for repairs,” he added.
“We will be responsible for 25 years. We want to feel confident.”
The council’s community centre transformation project is due to be scrutinised at a meeting on Wednesday (January 7).
Documents published ahead of the meeting confirm repair requests already put forward by some associations will be met using a “one-off capital funding option” which the council is developing.
This will mean all sites will be “compliant from a health and safety perspective and are in a good or reasonable state of repair” when handed over.
Nottingham Save Our Services (SOS) campaigner, Des Conway, added: “SOS think the council should use the more favourable settlement with central government to maintain the existing arrangements, including repairs.
“And also to perhaps reopen some of those community centres, such as Mapperley Community Centre, currently boarded up.”
The council says it has introduced weekly drop-in sessions with the project team, together with the allocation of named caseworkers to each association.
It has also waived internal legal fees that it had been planning to charge associations, saving them £750 to £1,000 in additional costs.
“These changes are intended to maximise the retention of community assets across the city, while safeguarding the council’s financial position and recognising the significant value delivered by community associations and their volunteers,” documents add.
“This revision reflects the council’s improved financial position, arising from the financial improvement plan and a more favourable provisional central government settlement.
“Savings are being delivered incrementally rather than through a single step change, which reduces financial risk and allows time for associations to adapt.”
