Community centre reopens after £5.9m refurbishment

A community centre in Oxford has been officially reopened after a £5.9m redevelopment.

Work to East Oxford Community Centre included the construction of a three-storey extension, which features a balcony, solar panels and heat pumps.

Next to the refurbished building, off Cowley Road, the city council is also planning 12 flats for social rent, which are due for completion in 2026.

Councillor Linda Smith, cabinet member for housing, said: "This investment is more than bricks and mortar. It's about investing in people, opportunities, and in the future of this vibrant part of our city.

"It's been brought bang up to date... it's fully accessible, much more environmentally friendly, it's been modernised, but we've kept lots of the original features so it's still got that cosy community characterful feel."

There had been concerns from community groups that the new facilities would be unaffordable, but Ms Smith said: "We wouldn't be doing our job if we'd built a community centre that the community couldn't afford to use.

"The city council recently agreed a community rents policy... with smaller voluntary organisations paying less per square metre than bigger public bodies or commercial entities."

The work also included the demolition of a neighbouring building.

One of the new offices will become home to the East Oxford Community Association.

Trustee Debbie Hollingsworth said the old building was "very old, quite dirty, grubby, quite dark. I mean we loved it, but it probably had had its day".

You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.