VOTE: Give us a fair deal for our community - says Midhurst
Midhurst is demanding a voice in the planning of the new £31m school buildings to ensure a fair deal for community and youth facilities in the town.
Town councillors have called for discussions with West Sussex County Council, the Cowdray Estate, Midhurst Rother College and Capron House and Memorial Hall trustees to ensure long-promised new youth facilities are incorporated.
They feared there was already enough evidence of the county council 'pulling the rug' from under their feet over facilities in the town.
Former chairman of the town council Colin Hughes said: "Although there are plans for a new youth wing, there is no money to build it.
"It would be wrong of the county council to sell our present youth club land, keep the money and not provide new facilities.
"We should be party to what is going on in the town.
"When I came to Midhurst to work for the youth service in l968, one of the things I was tasked to do was to help plan and design a new youth club – and we have been waiting for it ever since."
The current facility in Lamberts Lane was now breaking up: "We now have to put the pressure on," Mr Hughes said.
"The college will not be using the land where the tennis courts and youth club are. It is land we are led to believe is the county council's to sell. This money should be made available for the building of new youth facilities."
Mr Hughes said the land actually belonged to the town after being given to Midhurst in l952 by Lord Cowdray for the siting of youth facilities.
"It would be hugely unjust if the county council were to sell it and swallow up the money," he said.
Town councillors also want to see much-needed community facilities continue at Capron House and the Memorial Hall, which will soon be relinquished by the school.
"Because of the shrinking nature of the Grange, they become increasingly important as some sort of community facility," said Mr Hughes.
"We have such limited community facilities – these would fulfil a lot of the community need and we have it in our remit to keep them."
Mr Hughes said it had become clear from the footprint of the new Midhurst Rother College plans that neither Capron House nor
the Memorial Hall would be required when the new buildings were in use.
"They are both used heavily by the community and the question now arises as to what happens to them," he said.
"We need to put pressure on for discussions and we have to do it now."
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Weather for Midhurst
Wednesday 23 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 14 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: North
Tomorrow
Sunny spells
Temperature: 13 C to 25 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
