More than 200 people in Stoke Gifford have signed a petition calling for South Gloucestershire Council to get Brooklands Community Centre built.
Cllrs Neel Das Gupta and Keith Cranney, Conservative councillors for Stoke Gifford on South Gloucestershire Council, along with Cllr Andrew Shore, Conservative member of Stoke Gifford Parish Council, presented the petition to the council at a meeting last week (13 Dec).
The petition, signed by 201 residents, calls for the council to consider all possible funding options to ensure the centre is built for the benefit of local residents.
Last year, when the previous Stoke Gifford Parish Council had prepared a business case for the centre, there was a funding deficit of almost £150,000. And in February this year, the previous administration at South Gloucestershire Council offered to contribute £60,000 towards the costs.
The parish council, however, decided not to proceed.
But the three councillors have now persuaded the parish council to re-evaluate the business case for the centre and are asking South Gloucestershire Council to consider what it can do to fund the anticipated shortfall.
As a result of the new business case, the funding deficit is anticipated to be substantially lower than the original £147,000, though higher than the £60,000 initially offered. The new business case is expected to be revealed in the new year.
Cllr Neel Das Gupta said: “It’s hugely important that Brooklands Community Centre is built for the benefit of local residents, and this petition just goes to show how much it matters to people.
“I’m very grateful to the previous administration at South Gloucestershire Council for offering to contribute £60,000 towards the costs back in February. Happily, we expect the funding deficit to be much more manageable once the new business case is published.”
Cllr Keith Cranney said: “The aim of this petition is to press the council to recognise how important this is to local people and to help fund any deficit that may emerge, and I’d like to thank everybody who took the time to sign it.
“Community centres are really important pieces of infrastructure that allow neighbourhoods to thrive, and Neel and Andrew and I hope to see Brooklands Community Centre up and running in the not-too-distant future.”
Cllr Andrew Shore said: “I’m delighted to be supporting this petition and the aim of getting Brooklands Community Centre up and running for the benefit of residents.
“I hope the petition will be positively received by the Council and that action will be taken as quickly as possible.”
