Youth centre on the way

LOUGHTON'S planned youth and community centre has moved a step closer after Epping Forest Council granted planning permission for the scheme.

District councillors on the area plans sub-committee gave the go-ahead following a debate on opening hours and the appropriateness of the site for a youth centre.

The centre, a joint initiative between applicants Loughton Town Council and Essex County Council, will be built on the site of the United Reformed Church in Borders Lane.

But the plans were opposed by Debden resident and town councillor Eileen Murphy who said: "I fully appreciate that the youth require more facilities, but people think it's going to be a local youth club. I believe it will be used by students at Epping Forest College, and others not from this area.

"They will be moving over to this side of the road to use these facilities.

"Residents already have problems parking. This centre will hold 100 to 150 people, but there's only parking for 25 cars. No matter how much you ask people to be quiet they're always loud when they've had a drink. Debden residents are not supportive of this.

"I ask you to shut your eyes and see this from my point of view. It's my home, my community and enough is enough. There isn't the capacity to deal with this."

Principal architect Alan Wilkinson said it was a "much-needed facility for the whole community".

He said: "This will have nothing to do with the college. It's for local people and local youth. It will have a wide range of facilities, and the proposals were well received at a public consultation event."

Mr Wilkinson said the 25 parking bays were what could "sensibly be accommodated", and in line with guidelines.

He added: "The centre will be supervised. It's my experience that when premises are occupied, and there's coming and going by adults, the building tends to be self-policing, and not where the miscreants tend to hang around."

The church will be demolished and replaced by a two-storey building, split into a community centre, with multi-purpose hall, bar, reception, kitchen and storage rooms, and a youth centre consisting of a cyber cafe, education and consultation rooms and offices. There will be a decked terrace and open garden at the rear, and parking bays at the front.

Councillor Len Martin said he was concerned that noise from the centre would affect elderly residents of The Spinney next door.

He said: "It's where it's going to be that's a problem to me. If it's next to an old people's settlement, this is obviously going to cause some upset, it always does. Midnight closing is a bit late next to a residential area."

Mr Martin was concerned that with about 100 people using the centre at one time, there would be more than 25 cars.

Councillor Mitchell Cohen said: "Those of us who live in Loughton are used to large groups of youths hanging around. If you take the trouble to talk to them they say they've got nowhere to go. The need is paramount. They would much rather go to a youth club if the facilities are there for them to go to."

An amendment to close the centre at 11pm on Friday and Saturday failed, but a second motion for it to close at 11.30pm was agreed.