Success for campaign to save Moulsham Lodge Community Centre

10.28.00am GMT Thu 13th Nov 2008

Lib Dems Philip Firth, George Allen and David Jones discuss plans for the community centre

The Moulsham Lodge Community Centre site can only be used as a Community Hall, after a Chelmsford Borough Council planning decision. This follows a three year long campaign led by local Liberal Democrat Borough Councillor Philip Firth.

Conservative-controlled Essex County Council, who own the building in Waltham Glen, wanted to sell off the site as a Private Health Clinic.

Moulsham Lodge Community Centre was part funded and constructed by local residents and run successfully for over 30 years. It served not only Moulsham Lodge, but the Tile Kiln estate to the south.

There was a brief period of mismanagement around 1995, which led to Essex County Council not receiving their rent for the site. So the Council took control of the buildings. The Liberal Democrats say they should have offered the community a chance to buy the lease back.

For three years the building has gone unused whilst Essex County Council try to find a buyer for the site. Now Chelmsford Borough Council Planning Committee have decreed that the County Council must find a way to restore the building to use as a community hall.

Cllr. Firth commented "This is a significant setback for Essex County Council's attempts to sell off the site. The people of Moulsham Lodge worked hard to set up and maintain this site, and for many years it bound this community together. When it was closed, several community groups had nowhere local to base themselves.

"Over 140 local residents have contacted me to indicate their opposition to the County Council's attempts to sell it off. I am delighted that the Borough Council's Planning Committee have refused the application, which would have allowed the site to have been converted into a private health clinic."

Moulsham Lodge Cllrs. Philip Firth & David Jones, along with County Council Candidate Margaret Hutchon, will continue the fight for a solution which will allow the site to reopen as a Community Centre.

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How the story is reported in the Chelmsford Weekly News.