A Nottingham community centre has been placed on the market due to a lack of use. It comes after Nottingham City Council confirmed last year that the Highbury Vale Community Centre, near Bulwell, had been deemed "surplus to operational requirements", making the decision to look to sell the unused site in Brooklyn Road.
Residents in the area have since shared their views on the centre and what they would like to see happen with it. Supermarket worker Patrycja Grabowska, 22, said: "It used to be a gym years ago then it converted into a toy library as far as I know.
"I haven’t lived here too long but I think it should still be a play centre or even still a community centre where they have a toy library to have children doing something. There’s not much for kids to do around here unless you’ve got money to pay for it."
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She added: "Not everyone has money to pay for things like children centres." Security worker Paul Kennedy, 43, lives right in front of the community centre.
He said: "There used to be a stay-and-play activity there on every Monday that my son went to but they haven’t used it for ages really. It should still be used as a community centre for locals, and they should actually do things there instead of keeping it unused.
"It was also used for voting, like a polling booth. That was convenient because we wouldn’t have to walk so far, they should’ve kept that."
Cleaner Betty Egharevba, 46, has lived in the area for two years, and said: "I haven’t seen anything happening there ever. For a while I saw kids going in there after school to play but that’s it. Maybe they should bring the gym back, locals would love a gym. Or a mini supermarket, so we wouldn’t have to walk too far for groceries every time."
The community centre is being marketed for on a freehold basis, and a price guide shows that offers in excess of £130,000 are being sought. However, potential purchasers must also explain their proposed use for the site.
A Rightmove listing says that the building is to be sold by informal tender, with prospective buyers invited to submit offers by Wednesday, July 13.
A city council previously explained how the centre had been largely unused for regular hire, except for standing in as a polling station and occasionally providing shelter for winter play sessions by Bulwell Community Toy Library. It was felt there was "adequate" space in the local area for community use.
"The building was offered to groups needing relocating from the closure of the Radford Unity Complex, however this has not been successful," the report added. It was reported that the city council would remain responsible for the costs of holding and maintaining the premises until its disposal.
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