A new community centre for Nunhead

Blog readers and Nunhead-siders will know that back in November, at a meeting of the Nunhead Community Forum, Nunhead was promised money for a new community centre. As a member of the Forum's executive committee, Renata has been involved in the campaign to get the old centre reopened and, more recently, to secure a new centre (following a Forum decision that this had become the best option to pursue).

At the Council's annual budget meeting this week, there was, at last, a promise of £600k to build a new centre next to the Old Nun's Head Pub (on the soon to be vacated Early Years Centre site). The new centre will in fact be self funding as the old community centre site will be sold off to developers and the new centre will only take up a portion of the Early Years site, again the rest will be sold off by the council.

This is a compromise but with limited money available it seems that this is the best offer that the council is prepared to make. Speaking at the Peckham Rye and Nunhead Community Council meeting on Monday, Cllr Tim McNally, the Lib Dems' finance chief, gave assurances that the council would allocate a project officer for the new centre who would help the community secure match-funding. This will ensure a bigger and better centre.

Well done to the Nunhead Community Forum, local residents and the Nunhead councillors for all their campaigning on this. It's secured what should be a great community asset that will benefit many Peckham Rye residents as well.

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