Funding to revamp community centre being sought out

FUNDING to revamp a sorry looking community centre is actively being sought - according to a ward councillor.

Steve Edwards says the building in Castle Batch off Magdalen Way, Worle, needs hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of work done to it.

The councillor, who was elected onto the unitary authority earlier this year, says he is working closely with the community centre's manager, Paul Hillman, to see how they can fund the work that needs doing.

Residents and councillors have been fearful for some months that the facility could close down if no cash is made available to improve it and they have been asking questions as to what is happening with the site.

Castle Batch Community Centre has been a target for yobs in recent years and previously the Weston & Somerset Mercury has written reports about broken glass, empty alcohol bottles and dogs mess strewn across the area around it.

Steve Edwards says there is little point in looking to North Somerset Council for funding considering the massive savings it is currently having to make.

He said: "I am currently working closely with council officers to resolve the issue and a team has been put together with representatives from interested parties to try and seek external funding for the work.

"We really need to look at other sources, aside from the council, to fund the work because I believe costs could run into hundreds of thousands of pounds.

"When Locking Castle was built The Campus was put there but North Worle seems to have been built over a short period of time with little infrastructure.

"We need a mini Campus with somewhere for people to meet. At the moment the community centre is just like a hall but we need to work on improving it for the people of North Worle.