Community group faces big repair bill after taking over disused day centre

A community group taking over a disused day centre on a trial basis faces a near £90,000 repair bill – with a council covering £5,000 for maintenance.

A decision two years ago to close the building and redevelop the site for affordable housing kickstarted a community campaign to reopen it and despite a decision to relocate a service for adults with learning disabilities the building is set to once again be brought into community use.

The Gathering, which was formed from the campaign to save the Tudor Street Day Centre in Abergavenny, has been granted a 12 month lease on the building to provide for disabled adults and others with vulnerabilities including mental health issues.

Funding

Monmouthshire County Council’s Labour-led cabinet has approved the lease offer but Conservative opposition leader Councillor Richard John noted there was no capital – or one off funding – for the group to bring the building “back to standard”.

Cllr Ian Chandler, the cabinet member responsible, said as the landlord the council will carry out “compliance checks” such as servicing the boiler, electrical and fire safety checks which amount to around £5,000, funded from its maintenance budget.

The councillor said the Gathering’s business case identified repairs it will undertake including roof repairs, new access ramps and LED lighting which it’s anticipated will costs around £88,000, but it hopes to secure commercial support to fund or carry out the work.

A report for the cabinet, in November last year, stated bringing the Tudor Centre back into use would require a capital investmnet of £150,000.

Jenny Powell, one of the volunteers, said after the meeting it won’t have to carry out all of the work in the first year but jobs it intends carrying out including some roof repairs and providing a replacement kitchen.

She said: “We are looking for community support and grants to support with the costs.

“The council have worked hard clearing the building and doing the relevant electrical, heating and fire checks. Unfortunately quite a bit of soft furnishings had to be removed as they did not have the fire safety tag so we will be looking for some more comfortable furniture items too.”

The Gathering been providing a space for activities and social interaction at the Wellbeing Centre, at Abergavenny bus station, since December but wants to use the Tudor Centre as it is larger and, unlike its temporary base, accessible to all.

Financial details

Cllr Chandler said officers still have concerns over financial details of the group’s business plan which is why it is making a 12 month offer with the lease reviewed by council officers quarterly who will also provide ongoing advice.

One business case had already been knocked back but the Gathering given more time to address concerns.

Cllr Chandler said: “While officers feel it is much stronger and the financial projections more realistic it is their professional opinion that the business case still does not sufficiently evidence how a long term agreement to occupy the property will be financially sustainable or safeguard the interests of either Monmouthshire County Council or the Gathering.”

The 12 month lease is intended to allow the Gathering’s plans – which also include running a community cafe and room hire – to be tested.

But the Green Party member of the Labour-led cabinet said the “exiting and positive step forward” meant there is a risk the site cannot be used for alternatives, including residential development.

When the council announced its original closure decision in November 2022 it wanted to redevelop the site ahead of a change to planning regulations bringing in tougher standards on potential flood risks. The cabinet was told there is no date for when those changes could be brought in and Cllr Ben Callard, who is responsible for finance, said: “For the purposes of this decision that can probably be discarded.”