News over the last year
Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre has come to a deal to secure its future for the next generation with a brand new community centre. The agreement, with CLS Holdings, will allow the developers to become the new landlords of the VGCC in place of Lambeth Council in return for greater support, security of tenure and a brand new centre.
For several years Lambeth Council has been looking to sell 100 Vauxhall Walk, the home of VGCC for over a quarter of a century. The Centre had previously been in talks with Lambeth Council about its future once the building was sold but was unhappy with the options offered as it was felt they did not guarantee the future of the Centre.
Following these discussions over the years with various Council administrations and officers, the decision was made by the Community Centre Management Committee to pursue a separate line of dialogue with developers. This has now culminated in an agreement which will allow the council to sell the site of the Community Centre at 100 Vauxhall Walk to CLS, but will allow the Centre to stay at its current location until a new improved site in the immediate area has been built.
The plan will mean that CLS support the Centre in the short term in its current location, whilst an improved Centre is then built close to the current site at 100 Vauxhall Walk as part of a wider development of the area by CLS. The new centre will then be properly maintained by the developers in return for a sustainable rent and with a long term lease.
This deal is the best way forward for the Community Centre
(To view the ‘nuts and bolts’of the deal click here)
The view from VGCC
Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre stands at a crossroads. Different Management Committees of the Centre have tried for years to reach a deal with Lambeth Council but none could be struck that would guarantee the Centre’s future.
So we started talking directly to the people who want to buy the site, CLS Holdings. Our local MP Kate Hoey made the introductions and we began a dialogue to see if we could come to an arrangement that will safeguard our future. Kate believed CLS were people we could do business with.
Over time, we began to sketch out how a deal can be done that meets the Centre’s needs - security of tenure in a site appropriate for the area, a venue that means we can keep our current activities going, and a way to get the Centre set up on a sustainable footing that can be professionally managed.
This way all our users and new users can get the quality of service they need and expect. We believe the deal VGCC and CLS have come up with does those things. This agreement protects the centre in the short term and sets it up for the long term. No other plan for the Centre can do these things. Any other option stands to kill the Centre, sadly.
We urge you to give the agreement between VGCC and CLS your full backing.
(To view the ‘nuts and bolts’of the deal click here)
A partnership for the future
The view from CLS
Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre has been around for around 25 years now and has been a crucial part of the community in that time. We believe this deal will help the Centre keep going for many more years, and on a stronger, more sustainable basis.
This is a partnership, and one that will grow as the years progress. The agreement we have made with VGCC allows us to develop the site for the benefit of the whole area, whilst guaranteeing a brand new centre in time that will be a massive boost to the community. The new Centre will mean that VGCC can be ready to serve the community for decades to come.
It has been a long time coming for both CLS and Vauxhall Gardens Community Centre. But we believe that the time taken has meant that we have the right deal for the benefit of all.
The credit crunch has meant that what exactly will happen at the site as a whole is not clear. Only a fool could predict the future at the moment! However, CLS Holdings are committed to a long term relationship with VGCC and whatever we develop close by will involve the community every step of the way. It also means we will support the centre at the current location until everything is ready for the move.
This is a very exciting time for CLS and VGCC and we hope you will support our proposals, as we believe they will profoundly benefit the Centre and the community as a whole. It offers improved services from the current site and guarantees a brand new centre down the line that can serve the area for years to come.
We urge you to give the agreement between VGCC and CLS your full backing.
To view the ‘nuts and bolts’of the deal click here
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