We believe every community needs a place where people can get together to socialise or take part in a range of activities. This could be a purpose-built building or a space in the centre of a town or village.
Our plans for Langarth Garden Village include providing community spaces in each of the five village centres being proposed for the development and we are currently working with the masterplan team to draw up the details.
While Threemilestone already has a very successful community centre, the hall was built to support around 1,000 people in the 1970’s. With a population of over 4,000 today, and the village continuing to grow, it is no longer big enough to cater for all the organisations which want to use it.
We want to ensure that local services in neighbouring communities do not come under pressure as a result of our scheme. We have been working with Cornwall Council, members of the Langarth Stakeholder Panel and other partners to support the village’s plans to upgrade the current community centre as part of a wider programme of community investment projects in the Threemilestone and Highertown area.
Why the community centre needs upgrading ?
The building is currently used by the local community for a wide range of sporting, activity, club and other social events. These include education and training courses, local markets, arts and crafts activities, exercise classes, including keep fit and dancing, performances, and a range of contact sports.
The centre also includes a bar and kitchen which enables people to socialise and host family and other celebrations and events.
The popularity of the community centre and the rising population in the village means there is a growing waiting list of organisations wanting to use the hall. There are also currently no public toilets in the village, with the nearest ones in Chacewater, two and a half miles away.
What are the current plans?
The exciting plans developed by members of the Community Centre’s Management Committee include creating a new entrance foyer with an area for people to wait and shelter from the weather, and a digital information screen, improved access, an additional meeting room and storage space, fully accessible toilets, a changing room, shower and baby changing facilities.
Discussions are also taking place with the Threemilestone GP surgery who are looking to increase the social prescribing opportunities they offer patients by referring them to activities at the community centre, and with Cornwall Council over providing additional parking to replace the spaces which will be taken up by the extension.
What happens next?
The project is due to be carried out in a series of phases as funding is secured.
Following the fantastic news that the project has been awarded £107,500 from the Truro Town’s Fund, this means that, the first phase -which includes the new front lobby and the disabled toilets – should be completed by the end of the year.
Improving the community centre will bring great benefits to Threemilestone; providing more space for community events and enhancing the aesthetic appeal of the building which lies at the heart of the village.
We are very proud that Langarth is supporting this much needed and long awaited project and can’t wait to see the exciting vision become reality.
