RUDHEATH residents are being invited to share their views on the future of their community hub on Gadbrook Road.
The lease on The Venue is up for renewal, and tenant, Rudheath Parish Council (RPC), is holding a community engagement event to help form plans for the building's future.
Owner, Cheshire West and Chester Council (CWAC), has rules about how buildings it leases are run, known as a community benefit agreement.
In getting residents’ views, RPC is hoping to gain some useful insights into what the community expects from the Venue, which will in turn shape its renewal pitch to CWAC.
The Venue is home to a range of clubs, community groups, and societies, as well as Little Owls Preschool and Nursery.
Renewal of the lease is expected come with a grant of £80,000 from its landlord, which RPC proposes to use for essential building maintenance, including re-wiring, heating, and roof work, which will help make it more sustainable.
Residents who would like to have their say are invited to attend one of two consultation events, both on Wednesday, February 25, 2pm to 4pm and 4pm to 7pm.
There they can expect to see plans for the building work proposed for The Venue, and it will be a chance to tell Rudheath parish councillors what types of community-focused initiatives they want to see there going forward.
A spokesman for RPC said: “This is our chance to get some feedback from residents and we’re hoping to engage with absolutely all sections of the community.
“There will be a short talk about The Venue, plus an exhibition of the plans.
“A condition of us getting the lease renewed is we have to comply with CWAC’s community themes.
“These include enhancing people’s well-being, and encouraging sport and community cohesion.
“We believe these are all totally achievable."
Going forward, RPC is also seeking commercial tenants to take over some of The Venue’s underused space, with a view to easing some of the cost pressures of running such a large community venue.
RPC’s spokesman added: “We’re delighted to say the nursery is keen to renew its sub-lease agreement with us going forward.
“We’re also looking for other organisations to take on some of the extra space.”
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