Community helpers in a deprived Nottingham area face court threats from the council over unpaid rates, causing distress.
The council wants to charge backdated business rates to 2019. The center paid hefty installments, up to £1,508. The manager felt they were treated like criminals.
The city council provides a subsidy to community centers and plans to eliminate this subsidy by April 2025. This change could put pressure on the centers. Centers may face new leases, higher responsibilities, and rising rents.
The council now plans to set rents to cover running costs only. Bulwell expenses show high costs, with electricity bills reaching around £1,500 monthly. The council gave grants, but these ended up being as low as £90 quarterly.
Bulwell Hall’s lease expires in 2026. Staff feared high market-level fees. The manager said they’d close with commercial rent, as the center was built in 2005 and is expensive to maintain.
Closing centers could cost the council more in the long term. Bulwell Hall supports young families and offers groups like a needle and craft group, which helps young mothers and their kids. A visitor said the center boosts mental health and fosters a strong sense of community.
Another woman runs a baby exercise group because her area no longer has a center. Bulwell Hall frequently helps others and took 70 children to the zoo, funded entirely by the community. Christmas is also important, and they hold Santa’s grotto and other events.
Families reported the center’s grotto was better than an expensive one. Without the center, some kids couldn’t see Santa. Volunteers worked at Bulwell Hall, and even part-time workers do extra. One manager said kids thought she actually lived there.
A staff member said the council’s approach is flawed since the center is within a deprived area. The council expects them to profit from this area, which he sees as impossible. Another center, The Place in Sherwood, was taken to court over rates earlier.
The Place in Sherwood owed £9,000 yearly. The council offered £50 monthly payments. Those running The Place found this “bizarre”.