A WOKINGHAM church will have to raise £1 million to help fund a new community centre for Matthewsgreen following an agreement by the Executive to let the land to them for 30 years.
Wokingham Borough Council said that Kings Church Wokingham, which has offices in Station Road, was the only formal expression of interest received.
The evangelical church currently meets in Wokingham Community Centre, its Kings Place base being too small to hold its entire congregation.
It submitted an application to the council to run the community centre in a similar manner to the way in which Finchampstead Baptist Church runs the FBC Centre in Gorse Ride North.
Their proposal includes a coffee shop and office space, which would require planning permission as it would be in space allocated for outdoor play.
The community centre would include a main hall, a multi-purpose room, toilets and changing rooms, a kitchenette and an outdoor play area.
Under the plans, the church would have exclusive use of the centre on Sundays, while the rest of the week, local groups can book the space.
In exchange for running the space, it would lease it for 30 years at a peppercorn rent. Wokingham Borough Council would own the land and the building, despite the church raising £1 million for the build.
The decision was approved at a meeting of the council’s Executive committee, held at Shute End on Thursday, February 22. The Wokingham Paper was the only press present at the meeting.
Earlier in the evening, resident Jack Beresford asked Cllr David Lee if “the proposed new community centre will be operated in a manner that allows all members of the community to have full access to it, irrespective of race or religious beliefs?”
Cllr Lee said: “There is a proposal from Kings Church Wokingham to operate the new community facility. They specifically state ‘As a publicly-funded community space the community centre would be open to all. We would not seek to exclude or impose restrictions on individuals or groups permitted to book the space’.”
And speaking to The Wokingham Paper, a spokesperson for Kings Church repeated the pledge, saying that their model was very much along the lines of the FBC Centre, which includes a café, library and meeting rooms.
David Payne, chair of trustees, said: “We’re delighted the Executive approved our application to run the community centre on their behalf.
“The FBC Centre is a model that’s very much our thinking. It works really well for the benefit of the community.
“That’s why we believe we need a café alongside two reasonably large halls.”
The church is ready to raise the money for the project.
“We’re stepping out in faith and just know God will provide the funding. We’ve got two-and-a-half years until the building is complete.”
“It’s a fantastic opportunity to be at the heart of the community.”
