Use it or lose it

Fiona Howard • Published 5 Aug 2010 09:30 0 Comments

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THE Craigendoran Community Flat is in danger of closing unless people start using it - even though it does not meet disabled access standards.

A special meeting of the Craigendoran Tenants and Residents' Association (CTRA) was called to explain the situation but only five residents, one councillor and the MSP made the effort to turn up.

Ronnie Finnigan, chairman of the CTRA, told the group that he had received a detailed report of the things that need to be done to bring the community centre up to scratch.

The report, by Argyll Community Housing Association (ACHA) which owns the building, covered all aspects of necessary upgrade from new carpets to disabled access and toilet facilities.

Mr Finnigan pointed out that while there was a long list of necessary work, the association had not been given any costings.

Councillor Vivien Dance said: "These are major alterations.

"There is the problem with the toilet and access but the added problem is that there is no fire escape for a disabled person if a fire should break out at the front of the building."

And she added: "Reading between the lines of this report there is no enthusiasm at ACHA to do the work.

"The solution to the problems would involve capital spending, of course it would, and the question is whether they have got the capital to spend and whether they would be willing to spend it here."

Mr Finnigan said he believed the ACHA wanted the centre to close and it had come to a previous meeting with that intention.

Councillor Dance said, however, that it was not the case and that David Rae of ACHA had attended the meeting to give the community a chance to form a committee and get the centre properly up and running again.

She warned: "Nothing is going to get done unless you do something to make it happen.

"You could ask ACHA for the costings for the project but getting that together would carry costs of its own and at the moment your case is very weak.

"If you get the centre all tidied up and clear some of the stuff which is no longer used and try and find groups to use the centre on at least two days a week you would have more leverage.

"But unless the committee can show that this is a viable and active community centre being used by the community and that by not providing disabled facilities they would be discriminating against members of the community, the case is very weak.

"The committee should be looking at how you can get something moving again."

Jennifer Cox told Councillor Dance and Jackie Baillie MSP that there used to be a lot of things going on in the centre but it is hard to get people to come along to help.

"A lot of parents treat us like an unpaid baby-sitting service." she said, "but if you offer them an outing or something free for their kids they are out in force, but they are not prepared to muck in and help."

Every house in this area had a leaflet about tonight's meeting but they haven't bothered to turn up to find out what it is all about."

Ms Baillie said: "ACHA will not give you the money unless you can get the centre going again. There is more work for ACHA in getting the costings and they are not going to do that unless they see the building being used."

Councillor Dance suggested that the group look at their finances and see if they have enough in the kitty to get someone in on a part-time basis to try to get things started again, perhaps through Community Links or the Helensburgh Volunteer Centre.

The group then went outside to look at the community play park and were reminded that it is their responsibility to keep the area clean and tidy.

Committee member Dany McCallum volunteered to tidy up the weeds around the edges of the play area.

This article appeared in Helensburgh Advertiser 05 Aug 10

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