Plans resurface for improved youth facilities

IMPROVED facilities for children and young people in Kingsclere are back in the offing, with a decision on a planning application likely in the next few weeks.
Reg Dixon, the manager of the project to extend the Scout hut in Strokins Road, said he had this week put the finishing touches to revised plans, which would provide improved facilities to existing users, Busy Bees Pre School, a registered charity and Kingsclere Scouts and additional new youth club facilities for the village.
Costing around £230,000, the 9m wide by 21m long extension, would be built with a timber frame and external fair faced blocks - very close grain blocks: “It wouldn’t look out of place,” said Mr Dixon, who is the chairman of the trustees of the Young People’s Centre Ltd, the company managing the project.
New facilities would include a dedicated youth club area, alongside larger improved facilities for the pre school, a kitchen, toilets and nappy changing facilities, to enable the pre school to increase places available from approximately 25, to 32, open longer hours, and provide a breakfast club:
“The pre-school currently closes at 3pm, the new facilities would mean the opening hours could be extended to 6pm, allowing parents and carers more time to collect their children after work,” he said, adding it would also provide new employment opportunities:
“The pre-school employ around seven/eight people at the moment. The manager said it would probably go up to about 11,” he added.
Mr Dixon remained fairly confident the plans would be approved, despite two objections, including one about increased noise levels and another about windows at the back of the extension overlooking existing properties and that landowners, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, would be supportive in providing the necessary lease.
However Mr Dixon acknowledged building work could not commence until all the funding was in place, with just £130,000 in coffers so far - an insurance settlement remaining after previous youth club premises were burnt to the ground in a fire, seven years ago.
A donation of £20,000 had also been promised by a villager, subject to planning permission.
Mr Dixon said he was confident the remaining funds could be secured, subject to planning permission: “We need the planning permission in order to apply for grants, then we are off,” he said.
The latest plans replace an original project for a £524,000 youth centre building on the Holding Field in the village, which ground to a halt after Government cuts meant a private, voluntary and independent (PVI) grant of £275,000 - more than half the cost - was withdrawn two years ago.
Landowners, Kingsclere Parish Council, then also withdrew support for the project, after funding collapsed.
The original plans included facilities for sports changing facilities for the village youth football team, who will be left out in the cold under the scaled down plans.