Report to Staffordshire County Council on behalf of Shenstone Parish Council.

PROPOSED TRANSFER OF STONNALL YOUTH AND COMUNITY BUILDING FROM STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL TO SHENSTONE PARISH COUNCIL.

The Stonnall Youth and Community building was leased to Shenstone Parish Council in 2003 and since that time it has been fully utilised by groups and organisations in the village of Stonnall. It is considered to be a vital asset to the village,

The management committee has identified around 20 regular user groups which show that the facility is being used by all age ranges, from a recent family christening to the weekly Coffee club attended by some of our older residents.

The facility has been a focal point for the village and has been a major part of the sense of Community that exists in Stonnall.

The well being of its residents with continued social activities is at the forefront in securing this building.

The condition of the building is in good order and is maintained in a safe condition for public use. The most recent structural survey was carried out in 2008 which concluded that It was fit for purpose. There are no plans in the short or medium term to replace the building.

The intention to buy this building is to secure a well used facility for the villagers of Stonnall and those in the surrounding area.

The facility is considered to be complementary to other Community facilities In the village and caters for the smaller local organisations. The building is fully accessible for both the very young (babies in buggies) and disabled users .

The Parish Council has, through Grant funding maintained the building with the assistance of other users. Future maintenance costs are projected to be in line with past expenditure.

Once the building has been transferred into the ownership of the Parish Council and the facility’s long term future secured, as well as maintaining its current usage it is proposed by the management committee to enhance the present facilities by the installation of telephone and internet connections. It is anticipated that this will benefit a large proportion of the current users who do not have internet access and encourage new user groups.

The Parish Council will continue to strive to make the asset available to all its residents for a variety of uses.