New youth centre for Caterham finally on the cards

By Brian Haran

brian.haran@essnmedia.co.uk

A five-year quest for a youth centre in Caterham has enjoyed a major breakthrough.

Surrey County Council exchanged contracts last Friday (January 23) to lease a property in Godstone Road for the long-awaited new premises.

If planning permission is granted by Tandridge Council, the club would hopefully open in the summer with features likely to range from a youth cafe to skills training and counselling/advice sessions.

Caterham Valley county councillor Sally Marks, who has led the search for a new home, said this week: "I'm delighted that we have finally secured a suitable site in the centre of Caterham.

"The community will be pleased to see that this project is about to take shape.

"It will provide an exciting, vibrant and safe place for young people to meet.

"I look forward to this fantastic project being realised in a few months' time."

The total cost of leasing, transforming and fitting out the new centre would run into "several hundred thousand pounds," she said.

Mrs Marks added that young people in and around Caterham were being consulted so they can have a major input on the design of the new centre.

Mother-of-four Amanda Neale, who lives in nearby Commonwealth Road, said: "A youth centre is badly-needed around here so this will be welcome.

"There's very little for young people to do in Caterham Valley, although there's The Arc arts centre and the Skaterham skate project up on Caterham Hill.

"What we really could do with it is something like a bowling alley or a cinema."

The previous youth centre, also on Godstone Road, closed down five years ago.

Since then the county council has had a fruitless quest to find a suitable base.

County officers thought they had at long last clinched a new site two years ago, above the post office in Station Approach.

But those hopes fell through when it was discovered the cost of repairing that building was prohibitively high.

An exhaustive Caterham-wide "health check" survey completed last year revealed that securing more facilities for young people in the town was among the top priorities of local residents.

A planning application was lodged last month to change the use of the property.

It is currently occupied by Caterham Litho printing firm which is soon moving to Whyteleafe.