Firs Community Centre Development Survey

Background and Information

Sale West Building Management Group made up of local residents, building users and members of the Sale West and Ashton Partnership and Our Sale West are undertaking a survey of local residents as part of a plan to develop a replacement Community Centre on Firsway next to the Health Centre to replace the existing facility on Newbury Avenue, which is no longer “fit-for-purpose”.

The reasons for relocating the building from its existing site to the new site next to Firsway Health Centre (300 yards away) are numerous and include:

· The site would be accessed by more people. The new site is the gateway site to the Sale West Estate, Devon Estate and Heatherway Estate and partners believe that by locating the building on the new site, it would increase access as well as further increasing usage from all estates

· Relocating the Centre to the new location with the projects ambition to benefit health (through being adjacent to Firsway Health Centre) and for young families (through its proximity to Firs Primary School)

· The cost of the redevelopment of the existing building is prohibitive when considering that £600K would need to be spent to bring the existing building up to scratch, before trying to reconfigure the building to meet today’s needs.

· A “fit for purpose” Centre will bring with it operational efficiencies being easier to manage by the local community and lower operating costs

· Agreement from key partners (including Trafford Housing Trust; Irwell Valley Housing Association; representatives of Trafford Council; Firs Community Centre Ltd; Sale West and Ashton Partnership, Big Lottery (Reaching Communities). Key partners believe that a new build on a key strategic site for the area represents much better value for money

The existing Centre is the only Community Centre in the Sale West and Ashton Partnership area. The Centre attracts a wide range of user groups and is the hub of most of the community activity for the area.

It is envisaged that the replacement facility will be managed by the Building Management Group.

A Feasibility Study has been undertaken with existing building users in order to develop a draft mix of facilities to be included within the building.