Groups invited to take on lease of community centre in St Leonards

Cllr Stephen Chapman, lead member for resources and climate change, agreed to launch a bidding process for Hollington Community Centre in Old Church Road, St Leonards.

In a report, officers said the community centre is not used by the council and needs significant investment to bring it back into a good state of repair.

The report said: “The property is recognised by the council as a community asset but it requires significant capital investment to ensure its long-term sustainability.

“The council cannot undertake the works directly and has no requirement to operate a council service from the property. Therefore, the capital for the works will need to be funded by an external entity and that party will require an appropriate legal interest in the property for a sufficient term.”

Through the bidding process, the council will seek “an appropriate community or voluntary organisation”, which can take on a lease and invest in repairs.

Officers say a successful bidder would need to have a plan for how the property can be put back and kept in a good state of repair. This would be in addition to meeting all other lease obligations, officers said.

Bidders, the report says, may be local, regional or national organisations, but must also be able to show that their works will have “clear benefits to the residents of East Sussex.”

Any applying party must also be able to demonstrate good governance with an appropriate legal structure.

The report warns how the level of investment needed is significant.

It says the council commissioned a condition survey of the property, which identified approximately £735,000 of either ‘urgent’ or ‘important’ works. These are recommended to be undertaken within the next five years.

A further £71,500 of ‘suggested’ or ‘optional’ works were also identified.

Officers say these figures are only estimates and warn the actual costs may be much higher.

The report also stresses how the bidding process relates only to the community centre building and not the adjacent Hollington Youth Hub.

The youth hub has recently undergone a £3.3m refurbishment, funded by government Levelling Up money.

As a result of the refurbishment, the council says the hub is now able to support 160 young people each week — double its previous capacity. The refurbished building includes a cafe, training kitchen, music room, sports hall, sensory room, arts room and chill-out space.

Although the primary purpose of the building is to support young people, the council says the hub will also provide support for parents and carers of children under the age of five through the Family Hub service.

It will also provide meeting and consultation spaces for partner agencies, voluntary and community organisations, and provide a dedicated health suite for the NHS to deliver local health and wellbeing services.