A vital community centre facing an uncertain future has been given a reprieve with another extension on its lease.

Swale Community Centres (SCC) has been told they now have until February 2022 to vacate Phoenix House.

The facility was originally threatened with closure in 2012 after SCC, which has been operating the building in Central Avenue for more than 25 years, was served notice on its tenancy agreement.

At the same time it was told its funding would also stop.

The decision meant more than 100 community and voluntary groups had less than five months to find a new meeting place.

Kent County Council (KCC), which owns the property, said it was due to the building forming part of the Spirit of Sittingbourne’s redevelopment plans.

However, it was later revealed when the lease was due to end the site was earmarked as a temporary base for the Sittingbourne Adult Education Centre as its College Road premises were no longer fit for purpose.

After extensive media coverage, KCC backtracked and extended the lease until February 2017. Its grant funding was also reinstated.

SCC chairman Rob Fenton said: “We have been in discussion with KCC and Swale council regarding the timing of our vacation of Phoenix House taking into account when new community centre premises might become available and when it would need to be demolished to make way for Phase II of the town centre

development.

“This arrangement should give us security of accommodation until premises are available.”

The trustees have already started looking at what the future holds for it and its users. An initial consultation was held in 2013 to develop a design and locate suitable land in the town centre for a new community
centre to be built.

SCC also held two focus days in June and a family fun day in July during which people’s views were gathered.

Sara Seabridge, manager of Phoenix House, said: “Plans for the new centre are still in progress, with the consultation nearing completion. We will then start looking at securing funding to build the centre.

“We wanted the assurance for our service users that they would still have somewhere to use until the new centre is built, so with a lease to 2022 we will have plenty of time to complete the project.”

Questionnaires can be collected from Phoenix House or by calling Zoe Deveson at Swale CVS on 01795 426081.