A NEW partnership of local community organisations has been appointed by Cambridge City Council to manage the new community centre that will be built as part of the ‘Ironworks’ housing scheme on the former Mill Road Depôt site.
Romsey Mill Trust and Petersfield Area Community Trust worked collaboratively to submit a successful tender to secure an initial 11-year lease to run the new community building for local residents and community groups to use.
The council has appointed an operator for the building at this early stage so that they can help to inform the specification for the individual spaces in the new centre.
The new centre is being funded by S106 developer contributions, will be fully accessible, and will provide much needed community facilities and meeting spaces for Petersfield ward, including:
- A large hall for community events
- Meeting rooms
- A community kitchen, and
- An outdoor space.
The centre will be built in the final phase of the Ironworks scheme and is due to open in August 2021.
In addition to the new community centre, the scheme will include 182 homes, 50% of them new council homes.
Cllr Anna Smith, Executive Councillor for Communities, said: “We are delighted that Petersfield Area Community Trust and Romsey Mill Trust, two organisations embedded in the local community, have been appointed to manage the new community centre at Mill Road.
“This is a part of the city that has long needed more community facilities. Together with Petersfield Area Community Trust and Romsey Mill Trust, we will now work closely with local residents to help shape plans for the new centre, to ensure it provides services and facilities that people really want.”
Now that the bridge is closed, those of us needing to carry project equipment to the new community centre will have to drive miles around instead of just nipping across the bridge with stuff that is too heavy to carry.
It’s not therefore a community centre for ALL of Mill Road at all. This bridge closure has created an enormous divide. The Petersfield residents will have the privilege of easy access to the new centre when it opens, and the Romsey side will be deprived.
A real lack of joined up thinking there….!
Where will the new centre be Veronica? Is it where the new houses are?
I’m at the Romsey end , but great there will be a new space, I had no idea! I was so jealous of my friends in Trumpington and Eddington with the new community spaces!
Veronica is referring to the former Mill Road Depot site, now re-named ‘Ironworks’.
See our posts:
The ‘lack of joined-up thinking’ to which Veronica refers is not helped by our two-tier system of local government, with the community centre planned by the Cambridge City Council and the restrictions on Mill Road Bridge under the control of Cambridgeshire County Council.
Thanks! I had no idea about this, I’d seen the building works obviously but didn’t know any controversy, but it’s good they’re putting in community spaces ??
There is going to be some public art on the site and there is also an Artist in Residence for the site. See video by Mill Rd TV to find out more.
Very pleased that PACT have joined with Romsey Mill, going forward with this venture. It will hopefully be a focal point where the wide range of people from many backgrounds will come to enjoy time together and form lasting friendships.
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