CCCAG Update Nov 06

CCCAG Update August 06

We think the Local Area Team is wrong in its conclusions and that a new centre is the best way to bring new energy, co-operation and inspiration to Chapeltown. We want our centre to revitalise community and voluntary projects in the area and to have a 'signposting' function, so that when people come into our building, they can find out about all the other local venues and projects. We agree with the report that there is a lack of co-ordination between current centres and that many are under-used. However, many are not open to all sections of the community, or are not suitable for other reasons. Some are in need of refurbishment - we agree that the council should put resources towards improving them.

We feel that Chapeltown needs
1) a large, independent hall, where the community decides on the opening hours, the hire charges and on whether alcohol is allowed. We want hall hire to be affordable, so it will need to be subsidised by other projects - a cafe, office space to rent, a shop, maybe a bar, maybe flats. This will mean having quite a big building.
2) a beautiful, environmentally-friendly and sustainable building of which the community can be proud. We think there is a lack of environmental awareness or planning for the future, which we hope to remedy through the way we develop the project and by having energy-saving and other environmental information and advice available to the the centre users.
3) a focus for community development and empowerment - a place where people can drop in for a cup of tea, find out about what's planned for the area, get advice on starting their own projects and discuss what's going on in Chapeltown. This needs to be in the heart of Chapeltown, in a really visible location.

We're not asking the council for financial support, only for access to land. The Chapeltown Road Development Plan identifies several council-owned sites to be sold to developers. Since they are refusing to give us land or sell or rent it to us cheaply, the least they can do is agree to sell us one of those pieces of land at market value, rather than force us to bid against other developers.

To find out more about the Chapeltown Road Development Plan, the community centres review and other developments planned for Chapeltown, go to the council's 'Information Giving Event' on Thursday 30th November, 4-7pm at Space@Hillcrest.

At our public meeting on Thursday 14th December, we will be trying to decide whether a new community centre is really what is needed in Chapeltown and working out how we can continue with our project to improve community facilities and community participation in Chapeltown. Please come and make your views known and find out how you can get involved.

We held a public meeting on the 21st of September at the Host Media Centre. This was very well attended with around 100 people attending including residents, local councillors, Leeds City Council officers and local community organisations. We presented the case for a new community centre and Rory Barke (Area Manager) talked through the plans for the Joint Service Centre. Overwhelming support for the centre was voiced by attendees. People also raised many concerns about the proposed Joint Service Centre, the lack of transparency and consultation about the scheme, and the major loss of greenspace that would occur if the Joint Service Centre is built.

"Can I just say.. I live in the community… I am a council tax payer… and as a council tax payer can I say that you are quick enough to give us what you want to give us but you’re not quick enough at giving us what we want. In this community we want our community centre back. "

"I think, for me, when you get a meeting like this, all the time I’ve been going to meetings, and I’ve been going to meetings since 1975 as a young kid in Chapeltown, it was brilliant to see all of the different types of people that was in this meeting tonight and it’s a long time since I’ve seen a meeting in this community that has so many stakeholders from this community"

Thanks to everyone that helped support the event, Host Media Centre for providing the room, and all the volunteers that put the work in behind the scenes. Download a full transcript of the meeting.

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