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'COUNCIL WANT TO PUT US IN AN OLD LOO'

30 April 2009

John Prendergast
johnp@southwarknews.org

Nunhead residents have pulled the chain on council plans to replace their community centre, after being told a disused toilet was one of the sites that was considered as an alternative.

A campaign has now been launched to reopen the centre, which was closed in June 2007 after strains of Legionnaires disease were discovered. Other options put on the table were roundly rejected at a public meeting last Thursday.

More than 40 people met up to discuss the merits of proposals advanced by the council's chief executive, Annie Shepperd, which were dumped by residents at the meeting.

The chief executive met campaigners recently to discuss alternative options, after revealing the community centre would not reopen due to costing estimates of £1.3million to bring it up to 'modern standard'.

During discussions she revealed that disused toilets on Peckham Rye Common were considered as an option, before finally offering retail space next to the Nun’s Head pub on Nunhead Green.

At the meeting campaigners dismissed both options and vowed to fight to reopen the centre, stating they would run it as a going concern themselves if the council would not help them.

Cris Claridge, who chaired the meeting, said: "The options were just not big enough for us. For example, the meeting we had last week could not have been held in there. I feel like we are being railroaded into something.

We just want our community centre back, as we have nothing in Nunhead. When we met the Chief Executive there were only a few of us, and we didn't want to speak on behalf of everyone, in case they did not back us. But at the meeting what came across is that we have nothing now, so we have nothing to lose. It is absolutely plausible that we can take it over as a going concern. We just need the repairs done, and then we can just get in there. For starters I want them to justify this £1.3million repair bill."

Residents first asked two years ago how much it would take to reopen their centre, and were informed it would cost roughly £300,000. Cllr Fiona Colley, who represents the Nunhead ward, said: "We have asked why it is suddenly four times as much, but information has not been forthcoming.

Last time, (when campaigners were told it would cost £300,000) we were given a breakdown and if they gave us something like that again, maybe we would be converted."
She added: "We know we are fighting an uphill battle and we are going into this with our eyes wide open, but the meeting confirmed what we wanted to do and that is what we will do - which is to reopen our old centre."

Cllr Tim McNally, the executive member for resources, said: "At a time when we are - like residents - closely watching what we spend, we have to be prepared to shut down premises where it will cost more to bring the premises up to scratch than it would to move services to new and better locations.

"We understand that change can be hard, and that is why in each case we are speaking with the groups involved and working through all the options with them until we find one that suits everyone.

"We're committed to supporting voluntary groups, and they can rest assured that no one providing a valuable service to the community will be left out in the cold. I would call on any groups that are unsure of what is going on to get in touch."

The council told the 'News' that at present they could not break down the £1.3million figure, supplied to them by the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors, but stated it was an accurate estimate that they commissioned and was far from 'guesswork.'
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