COUNCIL chiefs are still scratching their heads over what to do with a £540,000 state-of-the-art community building that’s been empty for years in Barnard Castle.
When it was built in 2011, the children and family centre off Bede Road was hailed by architects for its modern design – although locals complained it was out of character for the town.
It was funded through the government’s Sure Start scheme – a UK-wide programme to support children under four and their families. But it has been empty since a Durham County Council review in 2015 and a large hedge has since been allowed to grow around the site.
The authority put the centre on the market in 2019 but the attempt to off-load the building was unsuccessful. It has since been taken off the list of council assets available to buy.
Susan Robinson, Durham County Council’s head of corporate property, said: “We are investigating all potential options for the former outreach centre, which includes the possibility of using it to deliver council services. This process is currently in its early stages and involves discussions with grant funders and further consultation. We will be exploring all options to ensure the future of the building is in line with the best interests of the community.”
The council said the building was not built under PFI (private finance initiative).
The centre included a creche, training room, office, toilets, kitchen and a reception, with a grassed play area outside. The idea was for people to call in at any time for help, advice and support, or take part in the activities arranged at the centre each week, from arts and crafts to cookery classes. Drop-in sessions were to be arranged for young parents and there were networking meetings for childminders. The building featured “child-size protrusions” , which jut out of the building, where “children can go to create their own space” .
Town councillor Frank Harrison said: “That building has always been a white elephant – I can’t believe it has been empty for so long.”
![A COUNTY councillor is backing a campaign to get a pedestrian crossing in Staindrop. Frustrated parish councillors in the village summoned their county council representative Cllr George Richardson to their latest meeting to discuss several issues, including the call for a safe way to cross the A688. Earlier this year their request for a crossing was turned down by the county council’s highways officers. Parish council chairman Jonothan Raper described the reasons for the refusal as “spurious” and called on Cllr Richardson to support their campaign. He added: “One of the arguments they made was there is no clear line of desire when they studied the village – well this isn’t a clear line of desire because there isn’t a crossing, people cross whenever they can. “When the lollipop person was there, one of the things I noticed was people would walk all the way down to the lollipop person to cross the road to go to the shop or to go to the school.” He added a problem of parking at the primary school is exacerbated because people are too afraid to walk their children across the road. Cllr Richardson said he had supported previous attempts for a crossing point with the first being made about 15 years ago. He added: “We went fairly well down the road with that and they looked into it. The only recommended place was where the bus stop is and to get the visibility splays, people on the other side of the road would lose their parking. “That didn’t go down well so it just died a death.” Cllr Raper said he suspected the real reason for the officers’ refusal was the cost of installing a crossing. He added that much of the cost could be recovered from savings made on not having to employ a lollipop patrol. Cllr Raper said: “A lollipop person only provides a benefit of crossing for three hours of the day. You are getting 21 extra hours of crossing time [with a pedestrian crossing].” Cllr Richardson said he would raise the issue with the county council’s cabinet member for highways, Cllr John Shuttleworth.](https://teesdalemercury.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/georgeR-120x86.jpg)
