£1.5m community hub for deprived area

TOWN Hall chiefs at Warrington are being urged to approve proposals for a £1.5 million community hub for one of the borough’s most deprived areas – Bewsey and Dallam.
The borough council would commit to provide £1 million funding through its capital investment programme which would attract borrowing costs of £80,000 a year for 25 years.
A further £300,000 has been committed in principle by Helena Partnerships in support of the wider regeneration of the area.
The potential shortfall of £200,000 would be managed through detailed costings of the scheme to ensure it is within budget or through identifying a partner who can attract additional funding such as Big Lottery funding.
Proposals are outlined in a report by council leader Terry O’Neill (pictured) to be presented to the executive board next week.
Revenue funding is estimated at between £115,000 and £240,000 and council chiefs believe the most viable option would be to bring in leisure and lifestyle organisation LiveWire to run the hub.
LiveWire is able to access funding that is not available to the council.
Community hubs have already been established community hubs in Orford, Latchford West and Fairfield and Howley the council officers believe there is a similar need in Bewsey and Dallam.
The area is within the five per cent most deprived areas in the country for income, employment, health deprivation and education, skills and training.
Child poverty is estimated at 30.9 per cent while some 34.6 per cent of older people are in poverty.
More than 22 per cent of the working age population are claiming out-of-work benefits compared to the Warrington average of 8.7 per cent.
Around one third of claimants are on employment support allowance and incapacity benefit due to illness or disability, the majority being cited as having mental health issues.
Smoking prevalence is 37.6 p4er cent compared with 13 per cent for Warrington as a whole and obesity prevalence is 28.4 per cent compared to 19.3 per cent for the borough as a whole.
Members of the council’s executive board will be asked next week to agree to a formal agreement with LiveWire, who would provide ongoing revenue support for the management of the hub and also undertake the management, design and build of the facility.