Plans are underway for Great Places to pay tribute to local councillor Pat Midgley, who sadly passed away in March last year, by naming a new community centre in the Wybourn neighbourhood in Sheffield in her honour.
It is hoped that the £2.5 million centre on Manor Oaks Road, Wybourn will become a fitting tribute to the local councillor, providing a community hub for residents in the neighbourhood. It will comprise of 2 low rise blocks containing a mixture of 12 apartments and ground floor community centre. The new development is located at the heart of Wybourn and is situated close to the area’s Children’s centre and Wybourn Community Primary School. It is intended that it will become a focal point for the neighbourhood and will host a community café and space for a range of community groups, events, education courses and other engagement activities.
Commenting on the project, Raymond Kinsella, Head of Neighbourhoods for the Yorkshire region at Great Places, said:
We’re delighted that work on this landmark project is progressing well . With 1,200 properties in the area, Great Places has a significant presence in Wybourn. The past five years has seen us undertake significant development in the neighbourhood, including an additional 200 new homes. The Village Centre is the last phase in this project and is an important part of our continued commitment to our customers and the wider neighbourhood, creating a vibrant new community hub in the heart of Wybourn.
We’re determined that the new centre, which will commemorate the years of service Councillor Pat Midgley gave to Wybourn, will be a community owned and run asset. It will put community members at the heart of any future actions with the support of Great Places and other local partners. The community’s input and influence can be witnessed with community members input playing a significant part in development’s design. We also intend to create a piece of art as part of the new development which Wybourn residents will contribute to and will establish a visual reminder that this centre is the Wybourn community.
In line with Great Places’ commitment to delivering social value as part of its projects, working in partnership with the project contractors Tanbry Construction Ltd., the Wybourn Village Centre development will offer employment and training opportunities for our customers and support additional community projects.
The new community centre will replace the temporary community hub, The Corner House, which is also owned by Great Places and managed by a steering group comprising local community members. Work on the project is due to be completed by next Spring.
