Copeland Council threatens homeless charity with eviction

When I was first selected as Conservative Candidate for Copeland and moved to the area in 2004 it was quickly apparent to me that one of the best-run organisations in the area and one of those doing most to move things forward was Whitehaven Community Trust, then as now based at the Market Hall in Whitehaven.

So I am truly appalled at the way Copeland Borough Council is treating the community trust, as was reported this week in the Whitehaven News at

http://www.whitehavennews.co.uk/news/homeless-charity-faces-eviction-from-market-hall-1.1193928

It is not by any means wrong that the council should be looking hard at it's property portfolio and trying to find better ways of using council assets to help local residents. It is not necessarily wrong that that review might include negotiating a move for organisations like the Whitehaven Community Trust into the Civic Hall on fair terms.

What is, however, outrageous is the way the trust is being told to move on terms which on the face of it appear anything but fair.

Copeland BC have offered two rooms at the Civic Hall at a higher rent than the Trust pays under the terms of the present lease, but according to the Whitehaven News CBC appear to be insisting that Whitehaven Community Trust will not be able to allow other community organisations to use those rooms as they do with their present accommodation at the Market Place  and have for many years.

Peter Woolley, chairman of the Trust, told the Whitehaven News  that

“We would like to stay and continue to support community groups from the Market Hall. The council want us to move out next month and go to the Civic Hall but they have told us we would not be able to hire any rooms out to community groups – even though we have been doing this for over 20 years.

“We want to work with the council but we need a level playing field so we can continue to help people in the community.

“The council talks about reopening the Market Hall, but in fact the only bit that is closed at the moment is the bit they shut down when they closed the Tourist Information Centre.”

I understand that negotiations are still going on: let us hope that Copeland BC sees sense and agrees to offer Whitehaven Community trust fairer terms than appear to be proposed at the moment.

Community groups are vital to the renaissance of the area and Copeland Borough Council should be supporting them, not sabotaging them. 

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