Gillingham Community Expo

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The Three Rivers Partnership set out their plans for the development of leisure and community facilities in Gillingham at an Expo at Gillingham Town Hall over the weekend of 28/30 September 2007.

A key objective of the event was to assess the level of local support for the Partnership to pursue options for developing a new leisure centre in the town. A range of options was presented, and, as far as possible at this stage, the likely costs and the level of financial support needed was set out for each. This meant estimated capital costs (to be met from existing funds already set aside, sponsors and partners) - and operating costs, and the estimated level of support from local council tax for the facility to break even.

 

The general view of the Partnership trustees present was that there had been strong support for the proposals to be taken on to the next stage - a detailed feasibility of the funding required. This should be confirmed (or otherwise) when the response slips completed by visitors to the Expo are analysed.
 

The more expensive proposals, which would include a new swimming pool, are clearly ambitious for an area with Gillingham's population, and there are few precedents for community-sponsored projects of this sort to learn from. But the partnership is determined that if there is a strong enough local mandate, every effort should be made to bring modern leisure and community facilities to Gillingham and the surrounding area.

Funding difficulties are exacerbated by Government raids on lottery funds to prop up the 2012 Olympics, and by the parlous state of North Dorset District Council (NDDC)'s own finances.

The Expo also asked for views on whether local council tax support should be provided for services being withdrawn by NDDC - notably street cleaning and public toilets.

More information on the Expo and the results of the consultation as they become available will be published on the Three Rivers web site.

 

northdorset.net aims to encourage residents and visitors to North Dorset to do more locally - find good food and drink locally, source services locally, support local enterprises, make like-minded contacts locally, be entertained locally.