New town hub plan revealed
Mildenhall community hub launch
A project which could see Mildenhall’s college, its swimming pool and leisure centre and the district council’s offices all on the town’s former Riverside Middle School site has been unveiled.
Forest Heath District Council leader Cllr James Waters, one of the driving forces behind the idea to create a town hub of community facilities, said: “It’s all about joined-up thinking among the partners because it makes sense at every level to replace buildings which are expensive to run, and spread across the whole town, with something that’s modern, efficient, cheaper and all together. Now we need to work on stacking up the finances to make it really work for our taxpayers.”
Susan Byles, head of Mildenhall College, called the project “an exciting development”.
“It would give an opportunity to provide secondary and further education at the heart of our own local community,” she added.
“It comes at a time when the college’s ambition to convert to academy status would afford the school an exciting opportunity to grow its offer of post-16 and adult education. How much better this would be in purpose-built facilities, easily accessible to all in the local and business communities.”
The project could also mean a new swimming pool and leisure centre for the town replacing current facilities which are desperately in need of major investment.
Also involved in early discussions around a Mildenhall hub are Suffolk County Council, Suffolk Police and health and library service officials.
A new website – www.mildenhallhub.info – has been set up and will be used in the coming months to keep the public up to date with progress.
A spokesman for Forest Heath District Council said: “There is a long way to go in terms of developing a viable scheme, consulting the local community and seeking the necessary approvals.
“However, the partners believe that by aiming high at the outset, something exceptional can be achieved for Mildenhall and the surrounding villages.”
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Weather for Newmarket
Sunday 19 May 2013
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