‘Good news’ as proposals put forward to save Daventry community centre

In October, Daventry District Council gave residents a two-month extension to try and come forward with a bid to save Southbrook Community Centre. Should no community groups come forward before January, then the building – which up until recently was used additionally as a day care centre – would have been marketed for occupation on a commercial basis.

But since then Futures Housing Group has started working with the district council, Bromford Housing Group, Groundwork, Orbit Group, Northamptonshire County Council and Daventry Volunteer Centre to develop a plan to improve the outdoor spaces on the Southbrook estate and turn the community centre into a ‘vibrant centre for hosting events and activities that everyone can get involved in’. A new association is expected to be set up to run the centre.

Labour leader Councillor Wendy Randall asked for an update on the future of the centre at the full council meeting on Thursday (December 3). The Conservative leader of the council, Richard Auger, said they had since met with a number of community groups, but that this latest venture was ‘good news’ for the area.

He said: “In November, the council and Futures Housing Group worked with other stakeholders to consult with Southbrook residents to develop a vision for the outside spaces in the estate including wildflower meadows, an outdoor gym, a children’s playground and car parking – and we know parking is a massive problem on our estates – as just some of the ideas for improvements. Residents were also asked to contribute their own ideas.

“Additional questions included the future of the centre and how residents would like things to be run. The consultation responses are being analysed and from initial assessment it seems like a lot of local people are interested in being involved in setting up a new group to run the community centre and shape other community spaces and activities in the neighbourhood. This is really good news for Southbrook. We will continue to support the group as it is established and that will be carried over to the new unitary.”

Southbrook Community Centre is owned by the district council, but for years it had been rented to Southbrook Community Association. But the association recently had to dissolve, and with Daventry Town Council declining to take the centre on, it had left the future of the building up in the air.

The most notable use of the building had been the Happy Faces Day Care, which provided the vast majority of income that allowed the community association to meet the running costs of the 1970s building.

But Councillor Randall had questions as to who would ‘foot the bill’ for repairing and maintaining a building that is now half a century old.

She said: “I welcome this news. I just wish it had been done beforehand otherwise we wouldn’t have got to the recommendation that we did at the previous meeting in October. There’s some great ideas coming forward.

“But we know that the building is not in a good state of repair, and we know that over the course of the next few years it will cost a considerable amount of money. Who is it that is going to foot the bill for that? Are we going to let it out in a good state of repair before these community groups come forward, or are we going to expect them to take on those costs?”

Councillor Auger said he did not have details to hand, and said that officers would respond in writing to all members.