Community centre to be saved after public outrage over closure plans

Douglas Community Centre is set to be saved from closure after public outrage over Dundee City Council’s cost-saving plans.

Proposals to shutter the facility and and relocate its services to the city’s new £100m east end community campus were first revealed last year.

The centre was one of four locations the local authority were looking to move to the new Greenfield Academy on Drumgeith Road.

The others were The Hub Library & Community facility, Whitfield Library and Douglas Sports Centre.

A six-week public consultation was launched last November seeking feedback on the council’s proposals.

A report which will go before councillors next week reveals over 1,300 people took part.

Over 600 of these said they used the Douglas Community Centre and Library.

Of these, 88% reported that moving activities to the new school would have a negative impact on them.

The report also detailed the consultation showed a “high response” against closing the community centre.

And many respondents expressed concern over whether the new facilities would be able to accommodate the same level of service.

The report subsequently recommended councillors vote to support the continued operation of the Douglas Community Centre when they meet on Monday.

If this happens, the community centre and the new campus will operate as a “hub and spoke model” where each site is complementary to the other.

However, the future of the Douglas sports centre remains in the balance – with a decision on its closure set to be deferred pending a review by DCC’s chief executive.

And there will be no stay-of-execution for Whitfield Library and The Hub Library, on Pitkerro Road.

Councillors are being asked to approved the closure of both facilities so that their services relocated to the east end community campus.

This could save the city over £50,000 each year.

If this is approved, the move will happen within six months of the new school opening.

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