Housing association to take over running of Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre
A loss-making £2.4 million tourist attraction which opened in a blaze of publicity by Shropshire Council 12 years ago is to be handed over to a housing association – to save £120,000 a year in running costs.
The day-to-day running of Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre in Craven Arms will be taken on by South Shropshire Housing Association following lengthy discussions between chiefs of the two authorities.
SSHA wants to turn part of the site into a food training centre.
The transfer, which will also include the adjoining Onny Meadows, had been suggested as a way of helping Shropshire Council as it bids to make £80 million worth of savings over the next four years.
The Conservative-run council has already cut more than £86 million from its budget since 2011.
In the last set of figures to be made public, for the financial year 2011/12, it was revealed the centre received £400,000 of council cash but only generated an income of £200,000.
Shropshire councillor Lee Chapman, who is also chairman of the Shropshire Hills Discovery Centre advisory board, said: "It's not the case the council wants rid of it.
"It just wants to take control of large revenue budgets that are difficult to justify in the current climate.
"With the pressure the council is under it's extremely difficult to justify something like this."
SSHA and its partner, Grow Cook Earn, want the food training centre to explore the link between the local landscape and what people eat.
Tim Ralphs, SSHA chairman, said: "This is a resource that will be both informative and practical for both the community and visitors alike.
"This is an exciting opportunity and we look forward to working with local people and partners to develop this project further."
The £120,000 running costs were revealed at a meeting of the centre's board last week.
The transfer is subject to further detailed proposals being drawn up, and also to getting the final rubber-stamp from Shropshire Council's ruling cabinet.
The centre, which was substantially funded by the Millennium Commission, was opened in 2001 as a major visitor centre for the Shropshire Hills.
It now includes a library, education room, craft room, art gallery, exhibition space, Shropshire Council customer service point, a café, a shop and more.
