Council rejects bid to transform Harborough's Roman Way Community Centre into charity hub
A bid to transform the Roman Way Community Centre in Harborough into a community hub for use by local organisations and charities has been turned down.
Centre-owner Leicestershire County Council (LCC) has rejected the bid proposal from grant-giving organisation Market Harborough & the Bowdens Charity to turn the centre – which the authority is selling – into a base for organisations to operate from.
The charity said: “We were informed that the charity’s bid to buy the former day centre on Roman Way in Market Harborough was unsuccessful. “It’s very disappointing news, especially for the scores of groups and voluntary organisations who told us they wanted to use the site as their base, for meetings and for various events. “The charity trustees are still very keen to provide a community hub in the town centre if possible but that will of course depend on the availability of a suitable site in the future.”
LCC says it has made a ‘provisional decision’ but it has until early February to confirm the winning bid. Applications can still be submitted before this date.
A spokesperson for LCC said: “A preferred bidder has been provisionally selected for Roman Way Day Centre. However, the final position will only be confirmed after the period of moratorium ends on February 6.”
The centre is home to organisations including Shopmobility, disability support service Home Farm Trust and meals on wheels organisation I Care, which have been left scrambling to find a new venue after LCC announced the sale around a year ago.
Shopmobility, which has struggled to find a new home, formerly said the community centre bid could be a ‘lifeline’.
Partly due to the bid put in by Market Harborough & the Bowdens, the current tenants had their eviction date extended – originally set for the end of October - to February 5.
The centre was also registered as an ‘Asset of Community Value’ - a building used to further the social wellbeing or interests of the community - by Harborough District Council after an application for the status was put in by organisation Arthouse 36 which has also bid for the site.
The organisation, which emerged from arts collaborative Creative Harborough, wants to turn the site into an arts hub including a cinema and café.