PENARTH Town Council Labour Group has created a petition to persuade the Vale of Glamorgan to grant it a long-term lease on the Kymin community building.
The town council has a rolling licence on the building, which is used by youth and community groups such as a bridge society and Penarth Youth Council.
The group said: “Repairs to the flat above and maintenance jobs on the building will need to be carried out in the near future, in order to keep the Kymin a safe and functional building for community use. The Town Council would need to use public money to carry out this work.”
However, the current licence could be revoked at any time.
The council is looking to secure a lease agreement of at least 20 years before it invests any more money in the building.
View from the Kymin
The council has been negotiating with the Vale of Glamorgan for two years and previously applied for a Community Asset Transfer.
In April, the Community Asset Transfer Working Group recommended rejecting Penarth Council’s plans and the Vale of Glamorgan Council agreed.
The plans were rejected for a number of reasons including, insufficient financial and overall detail.
Councillor John Thomas,leader of the Vale of Glamorgan council said: “We recognise the Kymin is a strategically significant asset.
“There will be many people with an interest in the future of the site and we will continue to engage with the town council, as current tenants, and others as work continues in exploring options.”
Councillor Liz Fahy was sceptical of what this might mean. “All we want is for the building to be secure in the hands of the people of Penarth,”
Over 700 people have signed the online petition so far: Public call on VoG council to grant a lease to Penarth Town Council.
The Kymin
