Ferguslie Community Development Trust (FCDT) has admitted it would consider its future if its appeal against Renfrewshire Council's rejection of its bid to take on the running of an old church hall in Paisley is unsuccessful.
The trust wants to transform the former St Ninian's Church Hall in Blackstoun Road into a thriving hub but has been denied twice. Its request for a long-term lease of the facility, which has lain vacant in recent years, was turned down at the community asset transfer (CAT) review appeals panel in May.
That essentially confirmed the decision of the CAT sub-committee in January, leaving the trust's ambitious plans for the site hanging in the balance. FCDT subsequently challenged the ruling to Scottish ministers, and it was confirmed earlier this month the case had been allocated to reporter Katrina Rice.
Make-or-break moment
Chair John McIntyre has admitted it is a make-or-break moment for the trust as he revealed dismissal would leave it with nowhere else to turn.
He said: "We can't take it anywhere else, this is us now. This is the final stage. If it is rejected this time then the game's a bogey and there's no more we can do."
"If that happened, we would have to call a board meeting and readdress why we are here. Would we want to continue as a charity? What is our purpose? We would have to consider our future."
"We have given the reporter plenty of information and evidence to mull over. We've done all we can and we now just have to wait and see."
Appeal grounds and plans
The appeal focuses on four key areas including the reasoning for refusal of its application; a perceived 'lack of consideration' of the current alternative use for the asset; procedural issues in the review process; and concerns about discussions at the relevant meetings.
FCDT wanted to lease the asset for £1 per annum over a 30-year period. Its vision was to transform the hall into a multi-purpose venue that supports all generations and complements existing community facilities.
Activities it felt could be hosted at the building included children's birthday parties and soft play; weddings, funerals and community celebrations; film screenings and stage performances; youth programmes, wellbeing groups and training workshops; and arts and heritage events celebrating Ferguslie's culture.
Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, who chaired the CAT review appeals panel in May, acknowledged the application had "merit" but said there were a "couple of fundamentals" that posed concerns.
The SNP representative for Renfrew North and Braehead added at the meeting: "I think they're aiming to do very good things with the business plan but if you look at the page where it’s actually got the finances for the business plan, it refers to things like the café and soft play and things."
"But if you look at some of the opening statements, there are references to some of these things might happen and some of them might not. I think if you are indicating them as financial outcomes, ideally you want to definitely be doing them."
"I appreciate that they might want a bit of flexibility around what they’re doing, of course you would adapt your business planning as you go, but it feels to me like maybe there is a wee bit more work to do there."
Future of the facility
Reflecting on the journey the trust has been on, Mr McIntyre reiterated his concern about the future of the facility itself.
He added: "The driving force behind this has been that we do not want Ferguslie Park to lose its last community asset."
"That was why the community development trust was initially set up as a charity in 2021. We do not want to see it going to someone who doesn't have the community's interests at heart."
The Scottish Government's planning and environmental appeals division has set a target date of Wednesday, September 9, for the case.
