Lincolnshire YMCA to take over running of community centre

The Lincolnshire YMCA has been granted a 25-year tenancy for a peppercorn rent for the facility in Swift Gardens

A community centre is set to become "a real asset for the area" after plans for a local charity to run it were approved, council officials have said.

The Lincolnshire YMCA has been granted a 25-year tenancy for a peppercorn rent for the facility in Swift Gardens, Lincoln, pending funding.

It plans to spend £1.5m on improving the facility.

The renovation would also help to address the lack of facilities in the area, a meeting was told.

Councillors heard that the building was currently used for just 10 hours a week - a fraction of the available hours.

The St Giles area where the building is located also met the criteria for government funding to improve youth facilities, making it an "ideal location", a meeting of the City of Lincoln Council's executive heard.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the licence agreement with Lincolnshire County Council expired at the end of 2022, and the transfer was expected to provide the city council with modest savings.

A youth centre, which was previous located next door, had to be demolished after an arson attack in 2016.

Council Leader Ric Metcalfe described the transfer as "absolutely marvellous".

"What's not to like about this? It's slid into disuse, but this will hopefully bring it back into full use," he said. 

"Hopefully, we will get assurance that existing users will still have access to the building," he added.