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Green Light for New Village Centre

The Centre of Kilmacolm is set to be transformed after planning consent for a new community centre was unanimously approved by Inverclyde Council on the 7th February.

The Board of KNCC believe this is a major shot in the arm for the village and its regeneration. The campaign to achieve this planning objective included surveys, consultations, public meetings and an architectural competition and has lasted almost five years. It is the result of a unique partnership between Inverclyde Council and the Community which will provide for the first time a real civic focus. The £4M project will feature a multi-purpose hall for concerts, dramatic productions and indoor sports activities and will involve the retention and renovation of the old two-storey school and the transference of the library from the present community centre building which will eventually be closed and sold.

A copy of the Consented Plan is exhibited in the Library together with an explanation in terms of the roads layout, parking, access and egress. Road management issues for roads external to the site are out with KNCC's consent and are entirely under the control of Inverclyde Council's road Department.

KNCC's objective is to begin work later this year providing all the planning conditions can be satisfied and full funding is in place. The KNCC Chairman believes that everyone in the Community will benefit from the project and appeals to all villagers, village businesses and organizations to support it and close the shortfall of £20,000 in the Community fundraising target of £50,000. Donations should be paid into the Royal Bank of Scotland, St James Terrace, Kilmacolm Account No. 00187950 Sort Code 83-23-20. In order that income tax can be claimed back you need to fill in a pink slip which is available either at the Bank or the Library. Please contribute generously.

Following Inverclyde Councils’ capital allocation of £600,000 to the Project two Councillors have now been appointed ex-officio directors of the Board of Kilmacolm New Community Centre Co. Ltd (KNCC) to comply with Audit Scotland’s requirements concerning public expenditure accountability. The nine-man Board now comprises: -

At Inverclyde Council’s Community Committee meeting on the 12^th January 2006, approval was given to release funds to contribute to the preparation of detailed architectural plans and submit a planning application for the new Community Centre. The Chairman of Kilmacolm New Community Centre Co (KNCC), Jim Wood, says, “that by any standard this is a significant step forward. It will allow the Company to commission the Holmes Partnership to develop their winning architectural design concept, which promises an outstanding conceptual urban design response to perceived village needs”.

It is almost four years since the Community began its campaign to work with the Council to secure a new Community Centre. During that time Councillors, Council officials, members of the Village Centre Forum and the directors of KNCC have worked together and tackled a whole range of complex legal, financial, technical and social issues to get to this stage of the project.

In the meantime an encouraging start has been made to fundraising with Inverclyde Council, Institutions and Lottery sources for the £3.2M Centre. This work will intensify over the coming months. Once planning approval has been obtained KNCC intends to hold a Community Conference with all present and potential users and other Community organisations to develop a Public Appeal for funds.

This is an exciting and imaginative project which gives the over 6,000 strong Community the opportunity to pull together and develop what will be one of the largest local Capital Projects for sometime. Its completion will have an impact on the social wellbeing of all sections of the Community over the next hundred years.