The Bankfield House Community Centre is under siege - despite having served the people of Garston for forty-five years.
Early on December 9th 2005, people chased off the bailiffs who'd come to board up the windows, and the building remains occupied - thwarting an unholy alliance of urban regeneration cheermongers and church sinners.
The official story goes that the building is old and dangerous and the cost of repair is exorbitant, so the only solution is to demolish it and sell the land. This is a lie! A recent audit proved the building viable, safe and in the black. A prestigious award ceremony at Speke's Marriott hotel bestowed excellence merits on the drama group and the centre.
The trouble started when the trustees of the property - Garston Parish Council - acquired four new members, each from organisations set to benefit from the site's redevelopment - which is worth around one million pounds.
Angie - a very calm organiser and staff member said:
"We don't know what they're up to and what is happening next, they say will tin the windows up and deny access. We will fight. We want to keep the centre operational and provide a nice xmas for pensioners and young children."
Building director Brian Taylor said:
"This is a 2nd World War memorial dedicated to all those killed during the conflict - whose funds were raised locally by the people here. It has given forty-five years service to generations of users, helped combat crime and other problems by being open and here, providing a place for the young to go to."
The 'Banky' will fight on. They have a newsletter, more and more people know and cars honk their horns in support. We wish them all a victory in overturning this decision.
The official story goes that the building is old and dangerous and the cost of repair is exorbitant, so the only solution is to demolish it and sell the land. This is a lie! A recent audit proved the building viable, safe and in the black. A prestigious award ceremony at Speke's Marriott hotel bestowed excellence merits on the drama group and the centre.
The trouble started when the trustees of the property - Garston Parish Council - acquired four new members, each from organisations set to benefit from the site's redevelopment - which is worth around one million pounds.
Angie - a very calm organiser and staff member said:
"We don't know what they're up to and what is happening next, they say will tin the windows up and deny access. We will fight. We want to keep the centre operational and provide a nice xmas for pensioners and young children."
Building director Brian Taylor said:
"This is a 2nd World War memorial dedicated to all those killed during the conflict - whose funds were raised locally by the people here. It has given forty-five years service to generations of users, helped combat crime and other problems by being open and here, providing a place for the young to go to."
The 'Banky' will fight on. They have a newsletter, more and more people know and cars honk their horns in support. We wish them all a victory in overturning this decision.
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