A West Leeds charity which supports older people is edging towards taking control of council-run Bramley Community Centre.
Chair of Bramley Elderly Action (BEA), Stuart Quin, told Bramley and Stanningley Community Forum that the council would give the charity a decision in principle on whether their bid to take over the management of the centre was successful ‘by September or October’.
The under-used centre has an uncertain long-term future.
Cash-strapped Leeds City Council is currently reorganising its ‘assets’ in Bramley, with the library likely to be transformed into a community hub hosting a variety of council services and the current housing office sold off.
Bramley Community Centre currently operates at a loss and is in need of improvements to the building.
Mr Quin said discussions with the council were ongoing, but added:
“Things are looking positive but it’s a case of ‘watch this space’. We want the centre to be sustainable and to be open for all the community. We need to improve its usage.”
Mr Quin said BEA would carry out a consultation asking local people what they would like to see at the centre, probably in early Autumn. “Details about the centre are to be determined,” he added.
Forum chair Cllr Caroline Gruen said:
“I think this promises to work very well if we can pull it off between BEA and Leeds City Council. We are not pretending it is going to be easy and a number of things need to be finalised. There is the basis of a financial plan which is beginning to look as if it will stack up but the centre will need more use, possibly with a other leaseholder as well.”
The moves were welcomed by Roger Cliff, secretary of Bramley History Society.
Youth services currently based in the centre have already agreed to move to West Leeds Activity Centre, near Gotts Park.
Bramley Elderly Action (BEA) is a charity which provides opportunities and support for older people, aged 60 and above, in Bramley, Swinnow and parts of Stanningley.