An appeal has been lodged against Renfrewshire Council's decision to reject a charity's bid to take on the running of an old church hall in Paisley. Ferguslie Community Development Trust (FCDT) wants to transform the former St Ninian's Church Hall in Blackstoun Road into a thriving hub but has been denied twice.
Background of the Application
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. The move essentially confirmed the decision of the CAT sub-committee in January and left the trust's plans for the site hanging in the balance.
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 have been hosted at the building included children’s birthday parties and a 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.
Grounds for Appeal
FCDT has challenged the ruling via an appeal to Scottish ministers and the case is ready to be allocated to a reporter for consideration. It has focused on four key areas which include 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.
In its statement, it said: "It is the position of FCDT that our application was not considered in full detail and that the relevant authority failed to uphold the community empowerment that is encouraged by the Community Empowerment Act."
Council's Concerns
Councillor Lisa-Marie Hughes, who chaired the recent CAT review appeals panel, 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."
Trust's Reaction
At the time, John McIntyre, chair of the trust, said: "It's disappointing. My fear is that building is going to lie there empty, it's going to rot and it's going to cost them a fortune. But my real concern is that Ferguslie Park loses its last community asset, that is my real concern. My heart would be absolutely broken for the Ferguslie Park community if they lose yet another community centre."
The Scottish Government's planning and environmental appeals division has set a target date of Wednesday, September 9, for the case.
