Charity says seizure of Threeways centre in Halifax is a ‘callous display of aggression’

Calderdale Council took back control of the Threeways centre at Ovenden, Halifax, yesterday (Tuesday), a move which, at least temporarily, involves closure of its sports centre which was still being run by the Centre at Threeways charity.

The council says it had no choice but to do so because there were serious site safety issues which had to be assessed urgently and people’s safety as paramount.

But the charity says staff and trustees were shocked when council officers arrived at the Nursery Lane site – one of the biggest community asset transfers in the country when it was signed off in 2013 and used by more than 30,000 people last year – with security without warning, instructed the closure of the sports centre and subsequently changed the locks.

Vice-Chair of Centre at Threeways Board of Directors, Colin Davies, said Trustees felt this action was “aggressive and unwarranted” and did not accept the reasons outlined by the council for this course of action.

He said it leaves the charity with no option but to go into administration, causing “considerable upset and disruption not only to staff and volunteers, but to the local community, many of whom stand with us in recognising the value that our work has brought to them and their families.”

In a letter sent today (Wednesday, March 3) to all 51 councillors, Mr Davies said: “Never in my life have I witnessed what has felt like a callous display of aggression and brutal and calculated abuse of power. This is a textbook example of how not to serve a community.”

The council says it was left with no option other than to bring the lease to an end and has taken over direct management of the whole site to ensure it is safe for everyone to use.

The council’s Director of Regeneration and Strategy, Mark Thompson, said financial problems and the health and safety issues had forced its hand.

“We are working hard to secure a sustainable future for the site and we are providing support to tenants and their employees, as we appreciate this is a difficult time,” he said.

Mr Thompson said the council had provided significant funding and support including health and safety advice and works to the charity’s board to help the project succeed.

“However, the Board’s unsustainable financial situation and struggle to address statutory health and safety requirements have given us no option but to act and take control of the site,” he said.

Last July the council’s Cabinet voted to take back the centre, formerly The Ridings and before that Ovenden Secondary School, into its control, citing the financial and health and safety issues.

The board’s Trustees argued they had drawn up ambitious plans to build social housing at the back of the site which would have brought a solution to financial problems but was prevented from pursuing them by the council.

At council scrutiny meetings in January and February they argued that they had dealt with health and safety concerns when raised by the council.

Centre at Threeways had hoped to be allowed to continue to run the sports centre which was very popular but yesterday’s events ended that, with the council saying the safety of the building and equipment had to be checked.

The council says during this month sports centre members can use its facilities on production of their membership card.

The centre directors say the sports centre may face a closure of up to six months, rendering any recovery “challenging.”