A COMMUNITY centre, which was taken over by Leigh Town Council after residents were handed a £5 rate rise, has made huge losses.

The Leigh Community Centre, in Elm Road, was taken over by the town council in 2012, with residents being charged an extra £5 in council tax to fund it.

Accounts show in 2012/13 it had a deficit of £63,531 and last year, 2013/14, it lost £36,651.

Despite the deficit Southend Council, which owns the building, says it wants to offer the town council a longer lease than its current five-year deal even though critics claim the deal was an “expensive mistake”.

Mark Bromfield, a town councillor who resigned as chairman of the community centre committee after a disagreement over how it was being run, said: “I think the community centre is proving to be very, very expensive.

“The business plan for the community centre was over ambitious, and while income might have been more than planned, ongoing costs are much higher.”

However, the town council claims the centre plays an important community role and its finances and bookings have improved since the authority took it over in 2012.

A public consultation gave a resounding yes to the council taking on the dilapidated centre, despite the £5 council tax hike, but the council hoped the centre would eventually turn a profit.

It has been licensed for weddings and a coffee shop has been put in.

However, the town council has budgeted for a net deficit of £163,000 in 2015/16, due to staffing costs, projects, and refurbishments.

Richard Herbert, chairman of the town council, said: “The centre has been excellent value and is doing well financially.

“We’ve really improved our position in the last year and our bookings are up.

“There is huge support for the centre in Leigh and it is the jewel in our crown.

“It was intended as a community hub, not to simply make a profit.”

He hoped the community centre would eventually break even and said that in each month of 2014, the centre’s accounts showed its takings were on the rise.

Ros Coffey, manager of the centre, added: “The centre is here as a service to the community – we work with the people of Leigh from the cradle literally to the grave.”

Residents throw their support behind the centre

RESIDENTS have thrown their support behind the Leigh Community Centre, but have expressed concerns its losses could see Southend Council take it back.

However, the borough authority has suggested that because the centre does work well as a community hub, it is are looking to offer Leigh Town Council a longer lease.

SallyHayes, of Fairleigh Drive, Leigh, said: “It’s a great asset to the town. I think the council is doing a fantastic job with the centre and there’s lots of stuff going on down there. It was sacrilege to get rid of St Clement’s Hall but the community centre has been a really good thing.”

Daniel Newman, 46, of Leighville Grove, said: “I think it’s really improved that part of town.”

Pat Crisp, 82, of Victoria Road, Leigh, added: “I’m really surprised it doesn’t make more money as it’s always really, really busy.”

Southend Council - we will offer them a long-term deal

SOUTHEND Council said it wants to work with Leigh Town Council and offer it a long-term deal for the centre.

It handed the centre over to Leigh Council on the proviso that the smaller authority would maintain the building.

Because the centre makes such heavy losses, the town council does not pay rent to the borough.

But Lib Dem councillor Graham Longley, deputy leader of the council, said: “The new administration is committed to the continued support of Leigh Town Council in its running of the community centre, which is clearly popular with local people.

“We are demonstrating that support by working with it to offer a longer lease which will enable it to access other forms of funding and to improve the business case for capital investments which will help them to deliver improvements to the centre in the future.”