Fernleigh Centre closure shambles

11.53.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 11th Apr 2008

The Fernleigh Centre

The County Council denies having taken a decision to close the Fernleigh Centre in North Street, Chichester but has nonetheless told the many groups that use it to find alternative accommodation.

Its city centre location, next to a car park, makes it a really useful venue. Many groups will find it difficult to find suitable alternative accommodation before the centre closes in July. The centre has been instructed to take no more bookings even though no decision has been made to close it!

The building faces expensive repairs, not least to its heating system. But the way in which the County Council is communicating its decision is shambolic.

There does not appear tohave been a clear review of the accommodation needs of the users or county departments using the building leading to a rational decision and timely notice to quit.

The Youth Information Shop now faces another move before it's able to eventually relocate to its permanent home when the old swimming pool site at Eastgate is redeveloped.

The clear impression is that the decision is finance driven with the building being dismissed as "high cost, low value". In the words of Lib Dem County Councillor for Chichester South, Alan Chaplin, "the County appears to know the price of everything but the value of very little."

The matter was raised at the recent County Local Committee (Chichester South) meeting. The two County members who are also members of the County Cabinet promised to raise the matter with the Leader of the Council as it they appeared to know nothing of the proposed closure other than they had read in the local press.

All of which begs the question: If cabinet members don't know what's going on how do members of the public?