Charity bidding to use ex-council base

Charity bidding to use ex-council base

23 March 2016

A FORMER Down Council building could be used to provide a temporary base for a local charity and an organisation which helps bring together social business ideas.

The old council’s single story building control headquarters at the Strangford Road in Downpatrick has been vacant since the local authority relocated to its new multi-million base at the Downshire Civic Centre in the town.

The site where the building is located is to be purchased by the Department of Education to create an entrance into Down High School’s proposed new £21m school. But construction work is not expected to start for several years.

The Downpatrick Social Enterprise Hub has expressed an interest in leasing the former building control premises for two years to provide it with an opportunity to develop a business case to identify a permanent site for its activity.

Last year, the Children And Parents and Autism (CAPAA) — charity which caters for children and young adults — had to leave its base at the Downshire Hospital and expressed an interest in the former building control premises. However, charity officials were told the building needed to be repaired as it was not fit for purpose. It’s understood the rent was also out of the charity’s range.

Last week, politicians were informed that Newry, Mourne and Down Council officials planned to discuss the social enterprise hub’s request with the Department of Education to ensure that leasing the building would not impact on the new school proposal.

While politicians had no issue with this, they said given CAPAA’s interest in the Strangford Road site, council officials should also meet with charity representatives before any formal lease is agreed. In addition, they have asked that the possibility of both organisations sharing the premises should be explored.

Councillor Billy Walker said while he had no issue with leasing the building to the social enterprise group, he suggested that to do so after CAPAA’s registered interest “could sent out a bad message.”

He continued: “When councillor Terry Andrews and I made approaches on behalf of the charity to lease this particular building we were told it was not fit for purpose and it would not be leased because of safety aspects. Are we saying that the building could be used by one organisation and not another? I have no objection to the enterprise hub using the building, but the fact the charity has already expressed an interest must be considered.”

Councillor Andrews said he welcomed the interest in using a dormant building and also highlighted the need to 

speak with both CAPAA officials and social hub representatives, adding: “If some common ground can be reached maybe the building could be jointly 

used which would facilitate the needs of both organisations, albeit on a temporary basis.”

Councillor Dermot Curran agreed the importance of speaking with officials from both groups and said he is acutely aware that Down High School’s new campus “has been in the planning for some considerable time.”

Council director, Eddy Curtis, said he would make contact with the Department of Education and both groups and will table a report at a future meeting of the committee.

He explained he is unaware at this stage if the social enterprise hub requires all of the old building control premises or not, suggesting that when the charity expressed an interest in the building, it did not have the financial resources to secure a lease.

Mr Curtis added: “I have no problem speaking with the charity and the social enterprise group to see if there is any way of coming to a solution. The site where the building is located will be sold so any move there will be for the short term.”