Before 2011 tenants of the sheltered accommodation had free use of the hall and could invite non-sheltered friends provided any sheltered tenants could attend if they so wished. Sheltered rents include £5.69 per week for the use of the hall.
Rules were changed in 2011 allowing only sheltered tenants free use; however, anyone using the hall under the old regulations could continue to use it. Many arrive in cars from outside for weekly events on a regular basis.
People wonder why it is called ‘community centre’ when so few of the local community are allowed in. Alterations costing thousands of pounds of public cash have been made to the hall – for what?
Hire of the hall is £10.50 per hour for non-profit groups plus £12.50 for use of the kitchen, £16.50ph to commercial users. The hall seats 40 and is much smaller than other community buildings in other villages where no extra charge is made for use of a kitchen and the basic fees are the same if not smaller.
This follows a lengthy argument dating from September 2016 with an initial complaint (Stage 1) to the district council. SHDC advised me nothing could be done but if I wished to take my complaint to Stage 2 I should write again.
Stage 2 achieved nothing but advice to write to the Local Government Ombudsman if I wished to take the complaint further. This I did.
A letter came back telling me they couldn’t deal with it and to write to the Housing Ombudsman. This I did.
Their reply was that it was not within their remit and I should write to the Local Government Ombudsman. This I had already done. Exasperated, today I rang the LGA Ombudsman.
I was informed that the law was changed in April 2013 and my complaint could not now be dealt with. So much for “democracy”!
Clearly the council is not going to let the hall to many organisations willing to pay the exorbitant fees and the building is not going to be used as much as it should be.
We have no other hall in Fleet Hargate. Loneliness and mental illness are among the worst threats to stability in later life but our council doesn’t appear to care.
Fleet Hargate
