Deadline for Tadley electorate in poll on £250k youth centre loan
Electors are participating in a postal vote on the question of whether or not they want the town council to take out the public works loan for the youth centre project.
The town council would repay the sum over a 15-year period and the repayments would be met by raising the town’s precept for the next 15 years.
The total cost to a band D household over the course of the loan would be about £40 – about £3.63 a year.
Instrumental in the project was Tadley and District Community Association (TDCA), which runs Tadley and District Community Centre and association chairman, Adrian Noad, issued a recent (March 20) statement, urging taxpayers to return their ballot papers, to ensure an informal venue for the town’s youngsters:
"We are not talking about youth clubs that can pitch up for a couple of hours once a week in a hall somewhere. We do that already at the community centre! We want to be open once school finishes each day until 9pm and throughout the school holidays. That's something we need a dedicated facility for,” said Mr Noad, adding:
“It's also about delivering the sort of counselling services that the youth of today need access to - drugs, alcohol, sexual health, bereavement, young carers etc."
The youth centre would be built on part of the former Burnham Copse Infant School site, New Church Road, at the back of the community Centre.
The land was given to Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council by Hampshire County Council, to be leased by TDCA, with hopes of having the new facility up and running by early next year (2015).
The deadline for receipt of completed ballot papers is 12pm today - Tuesday, April 1.