Plans for Huncoat community centre get thumbs-up

10:31am Monday 27th October 2008

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PLANS for a new community centre to replace one which closed earlier this year have been given the initial green light.

The youth club was forced to shut down and residents in Huncoat have been holding classes in local pubs after the Methodist church, in Marshall Avenue, closed in April on health and safety grounds.

The Methodist church, which had been used as a community centre for a number of years, fell into disrepair and the church said it was too expensive to carry out renovation.

Hyndburn Council officials also surveyed the building and agreed it would be financially unviable to repair.

Following the decision, a small group of Huncoat residents, the police and Labour councilllor for Huncoat Paul Gott, and county councillor Jean Battle, have been working to secure a site in Huncoat to build a new centre.

And, following months of hard work, Hyndburn Council agreed, at a cabinet meeting, that council-owned land in Yorkshire Street can be used to create a new community centre.

Coun Gott said: “It will be run by volunteers and I would like anyone who would like to help to get in touch.”