Campaigners are hoping to keep and revive a former youth centre building as Derbyshire County Council prepares to sell the property at an auction as part of money-saving strategies to manage a multi-million pound budget deficit.
The council has agreed to sell its Polygon Centre building, on Church Street, Alfreton, as it continues with efforts to offset an estimated budget deficit of around £40m for the 2024-25 financial year.
But the council has stressed the building is ‘not a thriving community hub’ and it has not been used to directly deliver community activities for some time and recently it has only been used as an office base for the council.
Alfreton resident Joe Peall, of the Save the Polygon Centre Campaign Group, said: “The Polygon Centre is a key part of the community, having served as a youth centre for decades.
“The positive impact this centre has had on thousands of people in Alfreton cannot be disputed.
“I’ve heard countless stories of the positive impact this space has had on people. It would be a tragedy to lose it, and we need to act now to keep it in the hands of the people.”
Mr Peall has launched a GoFundMe campaign to save the well-known Polygon Centre which has raised nearly £6,000 and he has secured £75,000 in sponsorship and formed a Community Interest Company in a bid to buy and run the centre as a community facility and hub.
The newly-formed CIC aims to establish community ownership and management models in the hope that the building will provide long-term benefits for Alfreton and that the centre can be used again for community activities including youth groups, fitness classes and art workshops.
More than 700 people have also signed a petition organised by campaigner Ryan Kerry against the council’s disposal of the building and to show the strength of public support and interest in retaining and using the building as a community facility.
The auction for the sale of the Polygon Centre was scheduled to be held by SDL Property Auctions Ltd on November 21 after the original date of August 22 was rescheduled but the council has since stated that no date has yet been set for any auction.
Mr Peall added: “This isn’t about profit. Any surplus funds will go directly back into the building and its services. We want to make sure the centre remains accessible to everyone with hire fees kept as low as possible.
“Alfreton isn’t a dying town – it’s full of passionate people who care deeply about this place. Together, we can make sure the Polygon Centre continues to be a space for everyone.”
Those interested can visit https://www.change.org/p/save-the-polygon-centre-alfreton-from-planned-disposal-by-derbyshire-county-council?source_location=search for details about the petition and https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-the-polygon for details about the GoFundMe campaign.
The county council has stated that it has been struggling due to reduced Government funding, the financial impact from the Covid-19 pandemic, inflation rates, rising costs, the cost of living crisis, and a growing demand on services.
It has been considering costs and both the monetary and community value of its assets and properties among many saving plans as it looks to prioritise funding for its statutory services.
A council spokesperson said: “We’re reviewing all the buildings and land we own and if we no longer have a need for them we have a duty to consider all the options for their future use.
“This includes selling them and reinvesting the proceeds into front line services, helping to protect jobs, reducing our financial deficit and keeping council tax as low as possible in future years.
“The Polygon Centre is not a thriving community hub and has not been used to directly deliver community activities for quite some time. In recent years it has only been used as an office base for council officers.
“As the building has a significant capital value and is not occupied or used by any community organisations it unfortunately doesn’t meet the threshold to be considered for a Community Asset Transfer and therefore the proposal is to sell it at public auction.”
The council is also considering the sale and conversion of its headquarters at County Hall, Matlock, into a hotel, homes and offices now that less than a third of the building is occupied by staff following changes in working patterns.
