Melbourn residents 'will have a say' on plan
RESIDENTS will decide whether a village gets a new community centre. Melbourn Parish Council has submitted a planning application to South Cambridgeshire District Council for the centre, which would be built on the car park in the High Street. It would i
RESIDENTS will decide whether a village gets a new community centre.
Melbourn Parish Council has submitted a planning application to South Cambridgeshire District Council for the centre, which would be built on the car park in the High Street.
It would include a library, meeting room, parish office and a large community hall.
Parish councillor Bob Trimble said: "The project will be paid for by taxpayers, because we were unable to get Lottery funding.
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"If we get planning permission, we will hold a full public meeting once the design is finalised.
"Here residents would be able to decide whether or not we go ahead.
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Cllr Trimble said that he believes the centre is "important for the develop-ment of Melbourn".
He said: "We carried out a survey of residents and had a high response with the vast majority in favour of building a new centre."
However, one resident told The Crow: "The plans include a licensed com-munity hall which could accommodate about 100 people, and could be open until late at night or even into the early hours.
"This is in the middle of a residential area.
"There is also much speculation as to how this development will be funded.
"There was a resolution passed last year to apply for a commercial loan of £750,000 by the parish council, which has yet to produce a business case detailing the financial viability of this project," she added.
Cllr Trimble said: "If we go ahead with the centre, we will be applying for a loan, but this will have to be authorised by the Depart-ment of Communities and Local Government."
Residents opposed to the plan have arranged a meeting on Sunday at the Vicarage Close meeting rooms at 2-5pm.
