Dumfries and Galloway Council has already demonstrated its commitment to work with communities to help them run their own facilities across the region. Various buildings and parcels of land have already been transferred into community ownership across the region.
At Annandale and Eskdale Area Committee (24th August) Members will be asked to put forward a recommendation to Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Policy and Resources Committee for the transfer of ownership of Langholm Day Centre and the former Library to Langholm and District Day Centre for Older People Ltd for a nominal sum of £1.
Langholm Day Centre has been managed on a day to day basis by Langholm and District Day Centre for Older People Ltd, which has charitable status, for 34 years. This is a well-established, well utilised service which not only plays a key role to the local community’s aging population, but which is also used by people of all ages.
The Library moved to Langholm Town Hall in June 2015 as part of the integration of libraries, customer service centres and registration, leaving the former library building vacant. The former library would be accessible from the day centre by re-opening the connecting wall between the buildings. It is proposed that the newly expanded space could then be utilised as a community space and hub, not only for Day Centre users, but also for the wider community, thus maximising the use of the building.
Dumfries and Galloway Council have already invested approximately £56,000 to ensure that the property was in fair condition prior to any community transfer: utilising funding from the Community Facilities Review allocation within the Building / Property (Non-Schools) Capital Asset Class. Works completed have included: work to slate and flat roofs; work to external walls and doors; replacement and repair of windows; electrical works and external decoration. An asbestos survey and boiler house environmental clean-up was also carried out. Providing the buildings are now transferred, there is expected to be a net budgetary saving of £10,077 per annum for the Council.
Legally, where the capital value of the land is greater than £10,000 but the proposal is to dispose of the asset for less than 75% of the capital value, the Council are required to appraise and compare the costs, the disadvantages and benefits of the proposal; be satisfied that the disposal of the building is for a reasonable purpose; and agree that disposal is likely to contribute to either economic development or regeneration, improved health and/or social / environmental well-being in respect of the surrounding area and residents. Council officers have estimated that the market value of this property as £75,000.
Langholm and District Day Centre for Older People Ltd believe that acquiring this development will further improve community spirit and cohesion and better enable joint marketing with groups to increase their chances of obtaining external grants for project funding.
Chair of Annandale and Eskdale Area Committee, Councillor Ronnie Ogilvie said: “Providing we agree that this is a viable and sustainable project, by transferring ownership of this building to Langholm and District Day Centre for Older People Ltd we will be ensuring that there will be a positive contribution to the well-being of the local community, as well as ensuring the future of this property.
One of the Council’s top priorities is to be an inclusive Council by ensuring that local people and communities are at the heart of our decision making. We must empower our communities to make the most of their assets and the transfer of these premises could be one way of doing this.”
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