Labour councillor for Newport East, Geoff Lumley, shares this latest news. Ed
A project to refurbish the interior of the former Downside Middle School at Pan and develop it as a community hub has now been completed successfully.
In September the expanding Barton Primary School moved into the larger part of the site and last week the local community group Pan Together took possession of their new Downside Community Centre.
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In addition, East Newport Family Centre – run by Barnardos – have moved into their new rooms on the site. The treasured Barton School WWI Memorial has also been re-located from the old school site onto the outer wall of the site thanks to funding from Newport Parish Council and support from Mountjoy.
How the project was funded
This is all part of a project driven forward since 2014 by local IW Councillor Geoff Lumley, with support from the IW Council leadership. Originally a new school and community centre was planned for the site as the nearby Pan Meadows housing development grew, but austerity put paid to that.
However, the IW Council committed £700k to the capital project last year and the rest was funded by the Pan Meadows developer Section 106 contributions and the anticipated sale price of the former Barton site.
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Cllr Lumley said,
“This is something that our community have been calling for for many years. I would have preferred a new-build, but Government austerity cutbacks ended those plans back in 2011. However, this is still an excellent resource for the community. Local school, family centre and community centre all on one site.
“I am sure it will all be taken good advantage of. My thanks to the Council leadership for investing the money, the Council officers who have brought this forward for me, the school governors for supporting the move, and to those involved in Pan Together, paid and volunteer, for sticking with what has been an unsettling time.”
Official opening
The site will be formally opened on Wednesday 2nd November at 10am, with the IW Council Leader, Jonathan Bacon, in attendance.
Mrs Gayna Ryan, cafe manager of the new community centre who as child opened the former Downside Middle School back in 1972, will represent Pan Together.
