Bradford Council is to demolish a former youth centre in Canterbury in order to make way for a new facility for local young people and put an end to antisocial behaviour around the site.
The former Canterbury Youth Centre building is to be demolished after independent surveys showed refurbishment costs to be uneconomic.
Bradford-based charity, One In A Million had applied for a community asset transfer but is now working with Bradford Council to apply for a grant to contribute towards building a new youth centre.
The Canterbury Youth Centre closed at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019 and during lockdown suffered significant damage from vandalism and became a magnet for antisocial behaviour.
The new facility will be a permanent location where One In A Million could provide a range of activities and sessions for local children and young people.
It is proposed that the surrounding open space and multi-use games area would be retained.
People of all ages from the local community would be also supported and encouraged to make use of the new centre.
Demolition will start in the next few weeks.
Councillor Alex Ross-Shaw, Portfolio Holder for Regeneration, Planning and Transport, said:
“Although it’s disappointing that the existing building suffered severe vandalism during Covid, demolishing the building will allow us to support One In A Million’s funding bid to provide a modern facility better suited to youth and community needs in the 21st century.
“The funding bid is significant and if successful will represent an investment of several hundreds of thousands of pounds into the heart of one of our most deprived communities”.
