Following a Cabinet meeting in December 2023, Councillors agreed to invest £1.5m in renovating The Paddocks Community Centre on Canvey Island.
The closure is to enable essential renovation work to take place which will ensure the centre remains open to users for years to come and will include improvements to both the interior and exterior as well as upgrading electrics, heating, lighting and ventilation systems.
It is anticipated that the centre will open its doors again in late September 2024. Until that time current users are being offered alternative provision at other Castle Point Borough Council facilities.
Work includes:
Work commences on soft strip demo works to toilets, stage areas and bar areas, ductwork removal to roof, M & E investigation, isolation & disconnection ready for asbestos works.
Castle Point Borough Council Councillors and Friends of The Paddocks group members met with contractors to officially hand the keys over.
Cllr Dave Blackwell, Leader of Castle Point Borough Council, said:
“Renovations to The Paddocks Community Centre have been long overdue, so we welcome the start of these works. Our residents deserve to have a local centre that can serve the community well and we believe this investment will ensure that The Paddocks remains an important asset for the Borough for the future.”
Matthew Smith, Associate Building Surveying at Concertus stated:
“This is an exciting project for Concertus, working in collaboration with Castle Point Council and SEH French to deliver a significant refurbishment project. The refurbishment scope identified as part of condition improvement plans has been a positive approach. The work completed to date by the teams to get to this point has enabled the Council to make informed decisions on their approach and ultimately a decision on how to progress the project.
"The project works to be undertaken will make a positive change to both the building fabric and energy performance of the building. We are excited to see the project commence and look forward to seeing the completed works at the end of the project.”
Fencing and scaffolding erected.
Closure announced for 10 February until late September 2024 while works are underway.
Funding increase to £1.5m agreed by Councillors at Cabinet meeting.