Anger over plans to shut Northway Centre (From Oxford Mail)

Anger over plans to shut Northway Centre

12:43pm Friday 12th December 2008

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OPPONENTS of a plan to knock down an office block in Northway which is home to a gym say the building should be kept for the community.

Cash-strapped Oxford City Council is proposing to close the 1960s Northway Centre to save £150,000 over the next three years, claiming the building is under-used.

The centre is now home to the Oxfordshire Sports Partnership, a charity aimed at increasing sports participation in the county, as well as a gymnasium.

But Northway residents remember when it was a base for the Oxford Womens’ Training Scheme to get more women into work, and as a housing office which allowed residents to make payments, ask for repairs and deal with housing problems.

Chairman of Northway Residents’ Association Betty Fletcher said: “There’s nothing for teenagers to do in the area.

“It could be a well used community facility for us. We have a social club but we need something bigger. Barton has a leisure centre but it’s not much bigger than Northway.

“It needs to stay for the community. We hear rumours that they’re going to build more houses but we don’t want housing we want facilities.

“I know housing is needed in Oxford but we need facilities – more houses and no facilities means we could turn into a ghetto area.

“We have got almost nothing for the community in Northway and the council don’t notify us of anything. We’re kept in the dark.”

The three-storey office block which is separate but adjoined to the Northway Community Centre, was formerly Northway Middle School until 1988.

Although the neighbouring community centre is set to be revamped in January with a £76,000 cash injection to build an IT hub, local councillors and residents are adamant they want the Northway Centre kept.

Tenants and residents association treasurer Jane Cox said: “It was a very useful and busy facility at one stage but like everything, one by one the council has taken things away from us.

“It was a very good gym. We are completely in the dark about what the council would like to do, but we want some community facilities.”

Ward councillor Maureen Christian said: “This has come as a bit of a shock. I’ve been fighting for better gym facilities there for 25 years.

“Northway deserves more community facilities than its got. It hasn’t been invested in as it should have.

“It’s very important that this is retained as a recreation area.”

Fellow council Mohammed Altaf-Khan said: “Instead of demolishing this we should give it to a community group to use. There are community groups asking for somewhere to go.

What are we going to get out of demolishing the building? There should be consultation with the community, but there’s been none.”

Ed Turner, the council’s board member for finance, housing and strategic planning, said: “We are looking at reducing the amount of under occupied office space in the council and there’s under occupied space at Northway.

“This could involve the demolition of the Northway Centre – however our aim will be to allow community sports provision to continue.”

cwalker@oxfordmail.co.uk

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