Valuable Oswestry youth centre could be taken over by town council
A £2.2 million youth centre is to be taken over by a town council and become a community hub for people of all ages.
The Centre, in Oak Street, Oswestry, was built a decade ago by Shropshire Centre as a showpiece for youth activities.
It replaced Centre North West where youth services had been based in the town.
However recent years have seen Shropshire Council cut its budget for youth services.
Oswestry Town Council has increased the money it spends on contracting youth activities and at its meeting on Wednesday agreed to move forward with legal negotiations to take over the freehold of the building.
Former youth worker, Councillor Jay Moore, said: "This is a really good move for for Oswestry, bringing that building into our custody."
"We have lacked a dedicated youth facility for so long. We must move forward with the acquisition of the building as soon as possible.
Councillors were told that insuring the building could cost more than £6,000 and that work to the roof could cost £150,000.
But Councillor Moore said that it was a small price to pay for such an important building.
He said that he had become a councillor to improve youth services for the town and to protect The Centre.
Mayor, Councillor Olly Rose, said she hoped that the building would become a community hub for all ages.
