by Hayley Robinson

More than 40 community groups and charities have been given less than five months to find a new meeting place.

Swale Community Centres (SCC), which has been operating the town’s Phoenix House for the past 25 years, has been notified that from February 20, Kent County Council is terminating its lease and grant funding for the centre.

The decision means two charities – Home-Start and Diversity House – plus the Historical Research Group of Sittingbourne, which have offices at the Central Avenue building, will have to find new accommodation.

SCC sent out letters to centre users towards the end of last week informing them of the decision and inviting them to a meeting on Monday night to discuss the matter. Another meeting is due to be held at the centre at 11am today (Friday).

Rob Fenton, chairman of the board of trustees for Swale Community Centres, which operates Phoenix House, Central Avenue, says about 1,500 people use the building each week.

He said: “We know the building will go eventually because of the town’s regeneration plans but we thought that was two or three years down the line and that [owners] Kent County Council was going to consult the users first.

“But there was no consultation – they just suddenly announced they were terminating the lease and they want it for their own use, after 25 years of it being a community centre.

“It’s not something we particularly want to accept. Our users are our main concern. We now need to know what provision there is for them in the area.”

A KCC spokesman said: “As part of the regeneration of Sittingbourne town centre, KCC and its partners are currently reviewing the way services are run and how the buildings are used.

“The current lease comes to a natural end in February 2013 and it is not planned to renew this at that time as the premises will be used as a temporary base for adult education courses.

“This will be while plans for new and improved community facilities in Sittingbourne High Street are underway.

“The Sittingbourne Adult Education Centre is based in a building in College Road which is no longer fit for purpose.

“This building will be vacated in summer 2013 and adult education services will be relocated to Phoenix House.

“We have met with the community groups on a couple of occasions and we will be jointly working in partnership with Swale council to support the groups to find new premises.”

Jean Spain, chairman of the Sittingbourne and Sheppey Fibromyalgia support group, said: “It’s a much-used centre. It has excellent facilities and it is reasonably priced. I can’t imagine an alternative that offers similar facilities in the town.”

Local historian John Clancy, a member of Sittingbourne Heritage Museum, which holds meetings at the centre twice a month, said: “Many local societies rely on the Phoenix as somewhere to hold their meetings and without it will have few alternative venues.

“I think the Phoenix is another candidate for listing by English Heritage. Sittingbourne cannot afford to lose another significant building in its streetscape.

“We have lost far too much of our history already and it is time to stop this wanton destruction.”

A church has offered its assistance to the groups now looking for a new venue.

Tony Brown, treasurer and preacher for Sittingbourne Methodist Church, contacted the Messenger saying the site has two halls and two rooms groups can rent and hold their meetings in.

The church, based in the High Street, has a large hall which is licenced to hold 110 people, two rooms which have connecting doors that will take 20 people in each and another hall which holds 50.

For more information, email anthonybrown1941@hotmail.com