Plans revealed for new youth centre

Havering Council will be submitting a planning application for a new state-of-the-art youth centre to be built on Harold Hill next week (Monday 2nd November).

The centre will be funded by a £4.7million grant from the Big Lottery Fund and will provide young people with a range of activities, including a juice bar/café; crèche; dance and music performance space; recording studio; bike workshop; information service and computer suite.

Part of the multi-million pound Harold Hill Ambitions scheme, the idea for the new centre was developed following feedback from local residents during the consultation, that the area needed "more for young people to do".

Young people have been central to the development of the project and their views taken into account in the design of this landmark building. Designed by architects, Jacobs, the building's shape is based on the form of a caterpillar which represents change and development.

The building will be single storey with a mezzanine floor and will be fitted with solar panels so that it can generate 20% of its own electricity. The building will be environmentally friendly and all the timber for the building including the outside beams will be sourced from sustainable certified managed forests.    

Outside the building will be an urban play and recreation area suitable for a range of sporting and entertainment activities.

Councillor Stephen Kelly, Deputy Leader and the project leader for Harold Hill Ambitions, said: "This is a modern building but designed to fit in with the special environment of Harold Hill. Young people have been involved with the project from the very beginning, helping to shape a building which not only is visually stunning but one that will offer them the activities that they want. It will go alongside our plans for a Learning Village, new library and new shops which will improve the lives of residents."   

You can view the plans by following this link to our MyPlace Youth Centre page. 

ENDS

Contact Liz Aelberry, Havering Council press office, 01708 432 001.

Notes to editors:

The Big Lottery Fund distributes Lottery funding to health, education, environment and charitable causes across the UK. It also uses its expertise in grant-giving to distribute non-Lottery funding.

BIG has been appointed to distribute £190 million of Government funding to DCSF to develop world-class youth facilities in England.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families aims to make this the best place in the world for our children and young people to grow up.

Aiming High for young people: a 10-year strategy for positive activities set out the Government's vision for improving youth facilities.  It set an ambition for new and improved places for young people to go in all areas of the country over the next 10 years.

As part of this ambitious process, myplace is delivering Government investment in world class youth facilities driven by an active participation of young people and their views and needs.

Full details of the Big Lottery Fund's programmes and grant awards are available at www.biglotteryfund.org.uk

For immediate release

28 October 2009