Council cash to fund community hub repairs
The Black Hut in Kimberworth Park is set to reopen in 2026
- Published
A community hub forced to close last year over serious safety concerns is set to reopen after a council agreed to fund repairs.
The Black Hut, in Kimberworth Park, Rotherham, has been closed since May 2024 after health and safety inspections highlighted "significant compliance failures," according to a council report.
The report highlighted structural concerns, accessibility issues, and the absence of a formal lease or maintenance records.
Around £200,000 has been earmarked by Rotherham Council to carry out major work to the building, with the aim of reopening it by March 2026.
The club had been home to youth clubs, martial arts classes and Slimming World meetings, and its closure sparked strong public reaction, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service,
Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council has said it will fund works including structural repairs, a full electrical rewire, roof and rafter repairs, and accessibility improvements.
Energy efficiency measures such as new insulation and LED lighting will also be installed.
The scheme forms part of a wider £600,000 programme agreed in the council's budget earlier this year to upgrade crumbling community facilities across the borough.
Oaklea Retreat, which narrowly avoided closure in 2018 and was later refurbished, will have roof repairs and work to improve accessibility.
Clifton Learning Centre, which is home to the Clifton Learning Partnership charity, will have new windows, signage and path improvements.
There will also be access upgrades to support its work with young people, Roma families, refugees and asylum seekers.
The Meeting Place in Wingfield, a social hub for adults with learning disabilities, and Artworks at Brook Hill, a creative arts organisation for adults with learning disabilities and autism, are all expected to receive improvements between 2026 and 2027.
A report to the council's overview and scrutiny management board said the investment would be carried out alongside new lease and governance arrangements to ensure the centres are run sustainably in the future.
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