Council to pay for centre's £680k 21st-century revamp

A COMMUNITY centre is to get an unexpected £680,000 makeover as part of a scheme designed to save Adur Council money in the long term.
Cafe manager Duncan Workman left and centre manager Dave FrostCafe manager Duncan Workman left and centre manager Dave Frost
Cafe manager Duncan Workman left and centre manager Dave Frost

The Shoreham Centre in Pond Road, Shoreham, is set for a raft of improvements as part of work being done to accommodate Adur Council’s new civic presence in a purpose-built extension.

The centre’s ageing roof and windows will be replaced and it will have a new commercial kitchen, lighting, wiring, an outside seating area for the café and disable toilets upstairs.

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Centre manager Dave Frost said staff were really excited about the upcoming building and refurbishment work.

Cafe manager Duncan Workman left and centre manager Dave FrostCafe manager Duncan Workman left and centre manager Dave Frost
Cafe manager Duncan Workman left and centre manager Dave Frost

“It will make an enormous difference to the look and feel of the place, bringing the building into the 21st century and enabling us to provide a better facility for the community,” he said.

“The current building has served us all well for more than 40 years, but is really now in need of updating and modernising.

“We look forward to sharing our home with the council, the CAB and other important voluntary and community groups.

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The work will require a total spend of around £3.2million, almost £680,000 more than the original budget for the new civic presence.

The largest cost will be £285,000 to replace the main building’s single-glazed windows.

The council hopes this will save money on energy bills as less heat will escape through the older part of the building.

Adur Council leader Neil Parkin said: “Basically we are spending more than £500,000 revamping the Shoreham Centre for public use.

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“We are investing more than £500,000 in a community facility.

“We are pleased to be bringing the 1960s fabric of the building up to the 21st-century standard the rest of the new building will be.”

The centre is run by the Shoreham Community Association, and sharing the buildings and facilities should help both the charity and the council save money.

“We would never have been able to raise the kind of sums needed for these improvements, even with grants, so we are very grateful that Adur Council has decided to invest in us as a thriving community facility, alongside the council presence in the new parts of the building,” said Mr Frost.

“I think this should be a win-win for all involved.”

The Wednesday market will continue as normal while the building and refurbishment work is carried out.