ALARM bells are ringing over the future of Alton Community Centre.

The situation has reached crisis point with ACA (Alton Community Association) management trustees opting to push for a new, purpose-built facility or, in a worst case scenario, for closure - possibly within 18 months time.

To Òsoldier onÓ in the face of increased costs and reducing revenue is not an option.

According to ACA chairman David Gay, the decision to seek radical change follows an awareness, in the late summer of last year, of financial and operating difficulties.

A strategic review of services, including a public survey, was commissioned using The Accounts Service Ltd, the results of which were presented to the management trustees committee in the spring.

They highlighted several major concerns. It appears that while most users, together with the residents of Alton generally, believed that the centre was providing the kind of services that were needed, the general deterioration of the building as a facility meant that it did not meet current levels of expectation, particularly among younger and middle aged people.

Formerly an underwear factory, the current building is owned by East Hampshire District Council and for the past 26 years has been leased to ACA. The terms of the lease make ACA liable for all repair and maintenance work to the building - a major concern now since not only does the roof leak but there is rising damp from the River Wey which flows beneath its foundations.

ÒThe review also indicated that the small annual losses experienced in the last couple of years would escalate due to ever increasing maintenance costs required to sustain a building built over 100 years ago as a factory,Ó pointed out Mr Gay.

ÒThis, coupled with a reducing income both from revenue and grants, would mean that the present level of financial reserves, already below that recommended in the ACAÕs policy document, would within 18 to 24 months, drop to a level which could leave the trustees exposed to personal financial risk,Ó said the chairman.

The strategic review proposed three options for the future. The first was to Òsoldier onÓ and face increasing demands to raise more and more funds through public appeals and other fundraising methods.

The second option was to build a Òfit for purposeÓ facility, either on the existing site or on another site if one could be found. A new facility would be aimed at meeting the needs and aspirations of the people of Alton and the surrounding villages while satisfying new legislative requirements to make such facilities equally accessible to all including the disadvantaged.

Because a project of this magnitude would, in time scale, take the ACA into a high-risk financial situation, even if money for a new facility could be identified, the initial reaction of trustees was to go for the third option.

This was to embark on a controlled reduction and reallocation of services working towards a closure of the centre within an agreed time span - possibly 15 to 18 months.

While this was felt to be the more realistic course of action, the trustees resolved that prior to implementing any proposals it should first meet with all levels of local government (Hampshire County Council, East Hampshire District Council and Alton Town Council) to inform members and officers of the current situation and of the potential long term consequences.

It was also decided that an extraordinary general meeting of ACA members and user groups be called to update them on the situation and seek instruction regarding the way forward.

According to Mr Gay, the meeting with councillors produced firstly an acknowledgement that the ACA had acted responsibly in highlighting the problems while its finances were still in a manageable state, and secondly, a criticism that the consultation should have taken place earlier.

Nonetheless, trustees were encouraged to discover that support for a purpose-built facility could be forthcoming and that further discussions should take place to explore all possibilities.

ÒThe councillors believed that any thoughts of closure should not be on the agenda unless all other possibilities had failed,Ó said Mr Gay.

While there remains a very real fear among ACA trustees that an exploration of possibilities could not be sustained indefinitely, less it drift into the Ôsoldier onÕ option, there is room too for optimism. As such, Mr Gay approached the EGM armed with the reassuring view of councillors that thoughts of closure were ÒprematureÓ.

It was a view shared in general by ACA members who recommended that all members and users should be made aware of the current situation and encouraged to give support and co-operation to the trustees to ensure the future of the ACA in a building which will meet the needs and aspiration of Alton over the next 50 years.

With this in mind, the ACA is also seeking the views and support of the wider community on how this can best be achieved.