It’s been a year since Ruddington Parish Council (RPC) announced it had completed the purchase of the former Youth & Community Centre site on The Green from Nottinghamshire County Council, for use by our whole village community in the future.
The site has lain empty and disused since December 2016, with the main building having to be boarded up in 2018, as pictured below, following repeated acts of vandalism.
After lengthy negotiations, RPC Chairman Allen Wood finally received the keys from County Councillor Reg Adair in December 2019, amid great celebration and anticipation. He commented at the time: “This is a significant milestone and the most important decision taken by the Parish Council in several decades – which is fitting as we’ve just celebrated our 125th anniversary.”
Sadly, the Coronavirus pandemic halted further progress with repurposing the deteriorating premises – including the promised public consultation on what should actually happen to them next.
Once Council meetings were given permission to resume online, Councillors agreed that, in the short term, the secure onsite car park could be used by village traders in order to free up visitor parking spaces in the village centre. RPC confirms that further gate keys have now been cut to distribute to certain businesses very soon.
And now, the delayed public consultation has finally got underway. A Working Group of 9 Parish Councillors has been formed to provide recommendations on what Ruddington residents want and need from their Community Centre, as well as recommendations on the structure of the building to make sure it’s fit for purpose.
Parish Councillor Cheryl-Ann Perkins comments: “Our village is growing and changing at a rapid rate. We really feel it’s important that the new Community Centre becomes a true hub at the heart of the village, to service all Ruddington residents in some shape or form.”
Cllr Perkins admits that they’re still in the “discovery phase” of the project, where they’re trying to ascertain what villagers want and need. “To understand this, we’ve created a very simple online survey. We want as many people as possible to fill this in, so we have a good foundation on which to base the rest of the project.”
You can access and complete the online survey here: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd9AA4a4HIb0R8yAfzMU7514DdO4fY-5HZvxafAL4vmSEDLpQ/viewform. The deadline to submit your response is Thursday 31st December.
As well as a short list of questions, there’s space for you to leave your comments and suggestions. RPC also plans to offer paper versions of the survey form. Cllr Perkins adds: “I would encourage as many people as possible to fill in the survey – this is your chance to be heard!”
Graham Wright via RUDDINGTON.info