Grant dilemma over Trees estate scheme in North Bersted

Should Arun District Council agree or not to accept a grant for that amount to create a community learning centre for the Trees estate?

The money has been awarded to the scheme by the Learning and Skills Council.

But it comes with a big condition attached. The grant can only be used for the creation of the learning centre.

If the centre closes for whatever reason, at any time in the future, the cash has to be repaid.

The open-ended commitment led Arun's cabinet members this week to refuse to sign a contract with the LSC.

Councillors deferred a decision until next month to enable more talks to be held with the national body.

Agreement has to be reached by next March.

Cllr Gill Brown, Arun's leader, said: "While I welcome this scheme, it is unreasonable of them to put this clawback in the contract.

"It seems very daunting to be held to this for perpetuity. We have to work for the benefit of all our residents."

The project is intended to create the learning centre from the disused restaurant and kitchen at Bersted Green Court in Durlston Drive.

The work would take 12 weeks to transform the rooms into a large open training area for 15-20 people with a projector and screen.

A separate IT suite with eight to ten computer workstations would be formed as well along with a quiet interview room for up to three people and community offices for a maximum of four people.

Activities are envisaged in the new facility from 8.30am until 9pm on weekdays and between 11am and 4pm on occasional weekends and bank holidays.

Residents from the extended care tenancy scheme will be able to use the facility as well as those who live in the surrounding area.

The learning centre would be the first community facility on the Trees estate, recognised as a deprived area with low levels of education and skills, since it was built some 35 years ago.

However, Arun regeneration officer Caroline Gosford said the LSC insisted the contract for its funding had to include the clause that it was dependent on the centre staying open for ever.

Jaqui Ball, Arun's head of strategy and partnership, urged councillors to keep the project alive even if they disagreed with the LSC's tactics.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to establish something on the Trees estate. This scheme has great potential. We know this disused area at Bersted Green Court has been a thorn in our side for some time.

"Our tenants there are excited by the prospect of this scheme. Knowing all that, it's something we want to make happen."

But Cllr Paul Wotherspoon said: "It might be good for the Trees estate but it would not be good for Arun's council tax payers if we had to pay back this 64,000 some time in the future."

Cllr Roger Elkins stated: "I can see the benefit of this for the Trees estate but it's very unusual for the council to enter into something for perpetuity. I am very uneasy about this. We can never know what the future of Bersted Green Court could be."

It would be more reasonable if the funding was linked to a depreciation policy to write down the cost of the equipment over five to ten years, which usually happened, he added.What do you think? Click here to send a letter or leave a comment below.

Click here to go back to Chichester news

Click here to go back to Bognor Regis news

Click here to go back to Midhurst and Petworth news

To tell us where in the world you are reading this story click on the link below to add yourself to our readers' map.

MAP