THE future of Summertown’s Diamond Place North Oxford Association Community Centre is to be discussed by Oxford City Council’s executive board.

The board will meet at the Town Hall, St Aldate’s. on Thursday, July 9, at 5pm.

The NOA Community Centre provides support to groups in the Summertown and St Margaret’s wards where many of the members are increasingly affected by growing austerity cuts.

It contributes towards the health and welfare of the community.

Without it the community would suffer.

The problem is that the consultation draft supplementary planning document (SPD) of February 2015 failed to provide a permanent replacement for the existing community centre before it is demolished to make space for an extension to the Ferry Leisure Centre.

This could be resolved by providing the permanent replacement on the same site as the temporary car park on the adjacent Summer Fields School playing field.

The draft SPD shows there is ample space for both the replacement community centre and the temporary car park on that site.

If you wish to express your views to the city’s executive board, you can do so in the form of written questions: phone 01865 252888 for details.

Submissions need to be received before 9.30am next Tuesday.

The future of the community centre rests with the executive board.

The members are familiar with The Local Government Act 2000, which refers to the responsibilities that the city council has in maintaining the economic, social and environmental well-being of its area.

A permanent replacement before the community centre is demolished would be welcome and be a relief to many.

RODNEY STABLEFORD
Victoria Road, Oxford