To seek approval to establish a Children’s Centre for North Hereford City on the site of Wide marsh Workshops by converting the current building, and relocating the present services to leased premises.

THAT:

a)         the Widemarsh Workshops be used as a Children’s Centre following conversion works;

b)        the conversion works be funded from the ring fenced funds in the General Investment allocation for Children’s Centres at a cost of £975,000; and

c)         two units be leased on the Foley Industrial Estate to facilitate the relocation of the workshops currently located at Widemarsh.

The existing Widemarsh premises are not fit for their current purpose.

Cabinet has previously agreed and endorsed the need to modernise the Council’s services for people with learning disabilities based upon the principles of inclusion; this includes promoting employment as a viable option. This recommendation contributes to achieving this key objective along side meeting Government requirements to provide countywide Children’s Centres.

The financial allocation for children’s centres must be spent by 31st March 2008, although slippage to 31st August 2008, because of the difficulty in identifying a suitable building, has been agreed.

There are no alternative options identified.