Overview
During the last 45 years the group have had a number of 'homes', all of which we have had to vacate at the landlords behest for 'development' purposes. We feel having proved the 'staying power' of the group that now is the time to give ourselves a permanent home.
Our current headquarters are in Hardy Road and we are due to leave this site by 2012. It has become our main priority to finance and build a new headquarters in the village.
Watch this site for our updates on the fundraising, planning and building of our new home. If you feel you can help or would like to join in our efforts please contact exec@westmoors-scouts.org.uk we would be pleased to hear from you.
Statement Concerning the Scout Headquarters
The Executive Committee of the 1st West Moors Scout group have been working over the last few years to secure premises for the Scout Group. This has been brought about because the existing lease runs out on the 13th June 2012.
We would like to move to the Memorial Hall site as this will place the Group in the centre of the village, providing improved security and improved facilities for both ourselves and other organisations. Greater visibility to the rest of the village would improve the reputation of the youth within the community.
Unfortunately having met and discussed the possibility of building on the land at the Memorial Hall with Mike Hirsh, Head of Planning for East Dorset Council, on several occasions we were informed that a new building on this land was out of the question. Having spent in excess of £650 on outline plans being drawn up, it has become very clear that we would not get permission to build on the Memorial Hall site without significant support from others and East Dorset planning department and following an appeals procedure that would take years and not months.
We therefore decided to ensure that the Group has a home for the immediate future to negotiate with our current Landlord, East Dorset Housing Association, on the basis that if we were having problems getting building permission then they also may have problems redeveloping our current location. Having attended an initial meeting at EDHA it was agreed that in the event that they were unable to secure a plan to redevelop the land in the foreseeable future they would be prepared to negotiate an extension of our lease. EDHA after many months have been unable to obtain consent from East Dorset District Planning Office and have agreed in principal to a new lease. We are still going through the legal agreement.
Our desire is still to move to the Memorial Hall site with a new building that will allow for the additional facilities that will develop the Scout Group and the future of the young people of the village. But, we do have a short-term issue of not having a home after 2012. The lease we are negotiating will have an exit clause allowing the Group to move to new premises should that option materialise. Whilst the lease would secure our location the usable life of our Headquarters building is coming to an end and although financing significant maintenance and regulatory improvements our major fund raising is still for a replacement building.
We fully appreciate the help and support that is being offered to our organisation by many groups and individuals within the community. It is a great frustration to us that the wheels turn so slowly and we have not always been able to keep everyone informed of our progress. For this we sincerely apologise.
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this web site are not necessarily those of The Scout Association.
