Applicant moves to reassure residents over community space plan for former maternity unit

Annabelle Brousse de Gersigny from Hundred House Coffee has applied to Shropshire Council for permission to use units one and two, at SY8 Studios in Ludlow for a creative studios project called 'Gather'.

The building is the former maternity unit in the grounds of Ludlow Community Hospital.

As well as the application for change of use, a proposal has also been submitted for an alcohol licence – sparking concerns from some that the site could see people partying in a building next to people being looked after at hospital.

The application for the alcohol licence requests permission to be able to sell alcohol, for on and off-site consumption, from noon to 11pm every day of the week, apart from Sunday when the permission would run from noon to 10pm.

It also asks permission to be able to host the screening of films.

Ms Brousse de Gersigny has moved to address the concerns in a lengthy comment published on the blog of Ludlow councillor Andy Boddington, saying they are taken "seriously".

She says the proposal will not include a physical bar, and that the application for the licence is so it can be "flexible" when hosting different events – and also to raise money to support 'non-profit programming'.

She says the site could also support local alcohol producers by selling their products, with the off-licence hours set to run from 8am to 6pm.

She added that the film licence is required even for a modest 'film club', and says there are no plans for it to become a cinema.

She said: "We do not have a bar installed, in fact all the furniture is flexible and movable. We are not opening a coffee shop or a bar. We have applied for a licence that is flexible to respond to different kinds of events where the consumption of alcohol is not a priority.

"As a contemporary space, similar to other maker spaces and co-working communities around the world, having a licence allows us to be flexible around this programming and to raise additional funds to support non-profit programming. Co-working is as much about building a community around you as it is about having a desk and cost-effective facilities to use.

"A drink after work is something we see happening on occasion when there is an event running – especially alongside a talk by one of our members, for example. It’s not about drinking and working irresponsibly, it’s about community building for freelancers and the ability to build programming and networking around their interests and those of the closer community.

"The reason ‘films’ needed to be listed is because even a small but public film club requires a licence – we are not opening a cinema, we have an analogue animation studio as part of the building."

In the post she explains that the plan is for the site to host 'co-working' during the day, with workshops and events on evenings and weekends – ranging from ceramics through to horticulture.

The capacity of the spaces would be around 20 people.

Explaining the vision for the site Ms Brousse de Gersigny said: "We take community concerns seriously and would really like this project to be something Ludlow can be proud of and celebrate on a site that is much loved and holds a lot of personal history for residents. On a site that was originally a school and then a maternity ward that is greatly missed, we want to ensure we run a respectful, community led, educationally driven project that really brings something original and contemporary to Ludlow.

"The project is source funded by Hundred House Coffee and Gather is intended as a co-work Monday to Friday, with workshops, low-key events and programming evenings and weekends. We would like the project to be self-sufficient to secure its future. We will be applying for funding for certain activities – for example, an open source kiln. We have a 10-year lease and would like to create something that lasts and serves the community long term, that remains in touch with the next generation and creative community needs.

"We ourselves are fine art graduates and I have an MA in Creative Writing from the Royal College of Art. We saw a gap in provisions and support for creative development and practice. Through Gather we are providing a space for production and productivity that currently does not exist.

"The workshops in particular will be run by and aimed at local makers and producers but there will also be a series for school age participants. They will be very varied, covering a few different creative practices from ceramics through to horticulture. Events will be led by local makers and members and will include artists talks, book clubs (for children and adults) and film clubs."

She adds: "The spaces are not very big and we cannot fit more than 20 people at a time in each. The majority of people using the space will be members, though the events and workshops will be open to the wider community.

"We really hope to be able to fund a couple of places on each workshop to support those who are looking to broaden their horizons and learn new skills but do not have the funds to do so.

"As a local producer we want to support other local producers and we would like people to be able to pick up their boxes of produce from the site – this may include local breweries and distillers.

"This really helps local producers in terms of time and costs and is also much better for the environment.

"We also plan to host markets such as @localtoludlow once or twice a year. Lastly, as a roastery we’ve collaborated with breweries with our coffee, and anyone ordering their coffee beans and possibly a coffee stout for example, will buy and then pick up to take home. The off-licence sales will be from 8am-6pm.

"We have been open and honest about all our intentions and have been public about them at every step. We want to hear from the community with any concerns – we are more than happy to meet or chat online to discuss them in more detail. We have taken advice and guidance to ensure we do not do anything that is unregulated, unsafe, or could get in any way out of hand and affect our neighbours. We have a very good relationship with the hospital and would not in any way want to negatively impact the incredible team and their patients.

Information on the project is available at morethanacowork.com