HEART proposals welcomed by Headingley councillors

12.19.00pm GMT Thu 8th Nov 2007

Local Lib Dem councillors have welcomed proposals to transfer Headingley Primary School to the Headingley Development Trust for the establishment of the Headingley Enterprise and Arts Centre (HEART).

Next week a report on the future of the former Headingley Primary School will go the council's executive board and council chiefs will be asked to consider options to allow its transfer to Headingley Development Trust on a long term lease at a peppercorn rent.

Headingley Development Trust would take on the functions of the community centre which would be sold off. The savings made would allow the HEART project to get off the ground.

Councillor Martin Hamilton (Lib Dem, Headingley) said:

"The proposals we have put forward allow the future of the school building to be safeguarded and allow for what is effectively a new community centre for Headingley to be developed and run by the local community. While the old community centre will close under these proposals the new facilities should be far better. Support from executive board would be a major step forward in retaining this important building in community use."

Councillor James Monaghan (Lib Dem, Headingley) Chair of the Inner North West Area Committee said:

"The area committee has agreed to support the new centre by providing a grant of £100k towards the building, and we very much believe that this is the way forward to develop community facilities in the area."