The first application for Olive Lane, including a community centre, was proposed back in 2021. It was then withdrawn as the impact of COVID influenced the global economy. The second application was submitted to Rotherham Council in July 2023 and approved in November. This was swiftly followed by the ground breaking event in December of the same year.
Overview
The Olive Lane mixed retail amenity, under the section 106 Towns and Country Planning Act 1990 agreement between Rotherham Council and Harworth, includes a community centre for the residents of Waverley to access and use.
The Waverley Community Council sought residents views on the community centre in a variety of ways. They attended several mums and toddler sessions in Waverley, Catcliffe and Aston to ensure as many views from Waverley's new parents were included. They asked the children at the local Waverley Junior Academy for input. Each year since 2021, the annual resident meeting also included the community centre as a topic, as well as a Working Group being established which included members of the public across Waverley. Additionally, we carried out two surveys to garner views on how the set space could be used.
Surveys and engagement
Following on from the first planning application for Olive Lane, the WCC sent out a survey in February 2022. We used the WCC website, the WAVE magazine and the noticeboard to raise awareness of the survey. The results from the first survey can be found here, and the additional comments are available here.
Some 21 months later, in November 2023 we surveyed again to seek resident's views on the new Olive Lane plans for the community centre, with the second planning application. We promoted the second survey on our website, and facebook page. We also added a QR coded poster to the noticeboards and the local Junior Academy added a reminder to their regular Friday update sent to parents. The results from this second survey can be found here.
It's very apparent from both survey's that respondents are keen to have the community centre up open and in use. Comments like, for it "to connect with people in community and beyond", "to actually create a community and get to know people", "have something to do for everyone of any ability of any age".
The more to the point comments we received ..the "Most important feature is that there is an actual centre for community"
We have also sought support and received it from our local MP, the early years services, and the local housing provider Arches in the forms of supporting letters for grant funders to receive.
Additionally, since the first survey, the WCC have kept a running list of any activities or uses residents and other organisations, who work with Waverley, would benefit from. This is in on-going list and continues to be added to. The latest list can be found here.
Please note that the surveys are not the only tool the WCC has used to engage with residents regarding the community centre. A summary of these engagements can be found below.
Engagement for community centre in relation to the first application was, which was ultimately withdrawn
Working Group 1 meetings, 19 October 2021, 24 November 2021, 8 December 2021 and 5 April 2022
Survey 1 – February 2022
Engagement for community centre in relation to the second application;
Toddler group at Winter Green pub 17 November 2022
Toddler group at Catcliffe Memorial Hall 12 July 2023
Toddler group at Winter Green pub 29 June and 14 September 2023
September 2023 re-engaged with residents from previous working group
8 November – news item inviting more residents to join the working group
Survey 2 - November 2023
Working Group 2 virtual meetings 14, 21 and 23 November 2023, email update 23 January 2024
The community centre has also been a topic of conversation at public engagement opportunities over and above the monthly meetings.
This information will help the WCC seek grant funding, including National Lottery grants from its Community Fund, to fit-out and furnish the community centre.
December 2023 update
Thank you to those residents attending the working group virtual sessions at the end of November.
The WCC listened closely to the comments at its ordinary December meeting. It agreed to incorporate concepts into the "must have" list for the community centre, especially around the 'cold hub' as Summers continue to heat up.
The members also bought into the layout comments and preferences suggested by working group members. The WCC are currently seeking confirmation that the utility connections can accommodate this layout. We are of course, not leading on this, but liaising with our architects, Harworth, their architects and the contractors.
In the meantime, as you may be aware, Harworth have signed a contract for the building works to commence.
January 2024
Harworth hosted a ground breaking ceremony hosted on 13 December, which the chairman of the WCC attended along with other members of the WCC.
The WCC had quite a few exchanges between the Council members, our architects and Harworth, about concrete slabs and waste pop-ups. This has led to a slight relocation of the toilets and kitchen, as the incoming services will be at the back of the building. Apparently the slab of concrete will be poured late January, weather permitting.
The next steps are for our architects to pull together some 'mood boards', and for the WCC to seek opinions from various groups including mums group, Aughton Early Years (from a child safety perspective) and a couple of virtual sessions for any other residents who are interested. We are aiming to make these available in March ahead of the 'Annual Residents' meeting on 20 March as well.
Additionally we are seeking grant funding from the National Lottery, and have to send in the application before the end of March this year. We also have a final heads of term lease to agree between ourselves, Harworth and two sets of solicitors.
February 2024
The National Lottery Funding Application was submitted at the start of February. We received guidance to also look for grant funding from other organisations for smaller elements of the community centre fit-out.
About £1million of lottery funding is spent in Rotherham. The Community Centre ask is nearly a third of that funding, and several other charities and organisations may receive less support as a result of our bid.
In late February we had further requests for data including a break-down of costs, copy of the Heads of Term of the lease, and the Land registry documents. We hope to find out if the WCC makes it to stage 2 of the funding programme in early March.
March 2024
Great news, the WCC passed stage one with the lottery grant funding!!! Lots more to do in preparation for stage two, including pulling more information together and virtual meetings with the grant funders.
In addition to this, we have the annual parish meeting with residents to talk more about the interior of the community centre. We're also hoping to be permitted on-site so we can take pictures and record the build of our community space.
Some residents have expressed an interest in the breakdown of the costs for the community centre, so we have that for you here.
April/ May 2024
At the Annual Resident meeting Harworth agreed to review the plans for the community centre, as they have indicated that the shell is very thermally efficient. This is on-going. We have been seeking input from contractors regarding Health & Safety for the project, and receiving specialist advice about the VAT on the fit-out costs. Work continues preparing the materials for stage 2 of the lottery application.
June 2024
We have been able to visit site to see up-close the progress with the building of our Community Centre. The building work across Olive Lane is on schedule to be completed later this year. You can view the current progress via the timelapse camera (link opens in new window). You can also access the 'gallery feature', and view some of the earlier build footage.
View from the left end of the Community Centre (back to Highfield Spring)
View of the Community Centre from the right end with AMRC in the background
At the end of June, Harworth's external project managers had looked over the preliminary costings for the community centre and reverted to the WCC indicating that the budget for the Community Centre fit-out appeared reasonable.
July 2024
It was great to see the progress that has been made with the build of the Community Centre since our visit last month. The brickwork is almost complete and the roof is starting to go on. The building work across Olive Lane is still on schedule to be completed later this year.
View of the Community Centre (a restaurant will occupy the unit attached to the right)
View from the left end of the Community Centre (back to Highfield Spring)
View down the 'street' towards Highfield Spring with the supermarket to the left.
August/ September
During a slightly quieter period, when people generally go on their summer holidays, the WCC was finalising its National Lottery Community Fund application. This meaty piece of work which includes references to the surveys and engagement, checks on who is part of our professional team in terms of project management and building control, plus ensuring its accessible friendly was submitted at the end of August for the September panel. This has now slipped to the October panel as they have had so many applications. Fingers crossed that we are successful!
View of the front of the Community Centre
View from the left end of the Community Centre (back to Highfield Spring)
At our latest visit we could see great progress again with the build.
Work across Olive Lane is still progressing well and on time. The scaffolding has been removed from the supermarket building and Tesco have been confirmed as the occupants.
You can view the current progress via the timelapse camera (link opens in new window).
November
The WCC is pleased to announce that it has been successful in its bid to get National Lottery Community Fund for the community centre. Many thanks to all the residents who completed the questionnaires, contributed to the discussions about the centre, and our stakeholders who also supported the application.
The WCC looked through all of the suggestions for the community centre name that you had provided and chose 'Waverley Community Hub'. Thank you again, for engaging with us!
View of the front of Waverley Community Hub
View from the left end of Waverley Community Hub (back to Highfield Spring)
We visited Waverley Community Hub for probably the last time before the building is completed and the keys are handed over to us in the new year.
As the building will just be a shell when it is handed over, work will take place over the following few months to fit it out and make it ready for use.
January 2025
Handover of the units at Olive Lane, including the building which will contain the Waverley Community Hub, has been delayed by a few weeks.
There's lots of work happening in the meantime around planning for the fit-out work, which will take place once we have the keys, and to prepare for when the 'Hub' is in operation.
The latest plan can be found here.