Community centre gets go ahead

"This is fantastic news and a great day for the community in Borehamwood."

That's the response from Councillor Morris Bright, Leader of Hertsmere Borough Council, on news that the development of the All Saints site in the middle of the town has been given the financial backing it needed.

Hertfordshire County Council has confirmed a new library and youth facility would be created on the site at an estimated cost of just over £4.5 million.  The new facilities are to be provided through the redevelopment of the All Saints site which is owned by two Church of England trusts.  The county council plans to construct two linked buildings which will provide a library with museum display space and computer facilities. There will also be a hall with meeting rooms and music studio for the provision of Youth Connexion services, as well as wider use by the community.

Councillor Bright continued: "It has taken a long time to get backing for the project, but over the last few months there has been a concerted effort among all the agencies involved, specifically Hertsmere Borough Council and the county council to make this new facility happen. We must now build on this momentum to ensure that this project gets underway as soon as possible and residents can have a centre of which they can be truly proud."

The development will enable the county council to replace the existing library in Elstree Way, which was identified for relocation nearer to the main hub of the community in the Libraries for the 21st Century strategy.  At the same time it will allow the council to replace the facilities formerly provided by the Lair Youth Centre on the old Lyndhurst School site - but again, within the centre of the local community.

"The county council has been searching for a number of years for a suitable site in the centre of the town out of which we can provide the modern and convenient library and youth services that local people need and deserve," said County Councillor Keith Emsall, Executive Member for Education and Culture.  "The development of the All Saints site provides a rare opportunity to do exactly that and we are delighted that the way forward has been agreed and the funding arranged, with thanks to our partners on the project, notably the borough and town councils."

Hertsmere Borough Council will be contributing funding to the project, but most of the money (over £3 million) is to be provided by the county council.  The intention is for it be partly self-funding, with income from the sale of surplus assets, with contributions totalling £1.3 million from other sources.

Once the development is open to the public and established in the local community, additional income will be generated from hiring charges.

A formal agreement is to be drawn up between the partners to set out the management of the budgetary arrangements.