Ex-school made a thriving 'asset'

As a report recommends selling disused public buildings cut-price to community groups, Sheffield's Burton Street Project is already leading the way.

The centre provides day services to hundreds of people

Communities Secretary Ruth Kelly and Ed Miliband, Minister for the Third Sector, launched the government scheme 'Making Assets Work' at a former disused Victorian school in north Sheffield.

The vibrant community project is among examples in Lewisham Council Chief Executive Barry Quirk's report which forms the basis for the initiative.

The report argues that handing public assets to communities leads to improved services and stronger communities.

And the Burton Street Project (BSP) has preceded the initiative by a long way - already operating for 13 years.

John Speyer, Chief Executive of the Burton Street Foundation, said: "We didn't realise it was unusual at the time, but we knew right back in the early 1990s that we wanted to buy the lease."

He said the project's founder Jim Taylor had the "bright idea" of turning the dilapidated Langsett Primary School into a place which could be an community asset.

At the time we took on the lease it was a liability to the council, but we have made it into an asset John Speyer Burton Street Project £1-sale plan for buildings

Organisers say up to 2,000 people now use the site each week, coming from all over the city but particularly from nearby neighbourhoods, which include the most disadvantaged parts of Sheffield.

The three-building site, which was the backdrop for some scenes in the 1997 hit film The Fully Monty, has many uses by the community.

These include providing child care and play schemes, a gym, an arts project for people with mental health problems and a variety of day services.

Mr Speyer said these cater for 80-100 people with profound learning difficulties as well as 200 people with moderate learning difficulties who benefit from facilities including a sensory room and sensory garden.

Empty building

He said that after the former school shut it was used as a music and drama centre before closing down in 1992 and remaining empty for two years.

The project took over the one-acre site in 1994 and for a number of years it leased the building from Sheffield City Council.

He said this was "a very insecure model" as it was not clear when the agreement would end and what the future held.

Mr Speyer said the council was "very supportive" of the project and values its voluntary sector but did not have processes in place for the "complex" deal which meant it took six years to complete.

Sheffield City Council said that in 2004 it agreed a "groundbreaking new agreement" with the foundation, which had had to produce a sound business plan.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Jan Wilson said: "The council had to strike a balance between protecting public assets and encouraging community initiatives, so any group which wants to take over a former property has to prove they can bring in the cash to maintain it."

She said a "large discount" took into account the amount the foundation had already spent on maintaining the building and the amount it contributed to the local economy.

'Sense of permanence'

Mr Speyer said the purchase of the site for £130,000, "substantially less than the market value", was vital for the project. The project now has the site on a 125-year lease.

"It has given us security both psychologically and operationally," he said. "It has created a building block for the long term and given the project a sense of permanence."

A sensory garden is among the attractions for visitors

As well as giving staff and centre users security, he said it has also meant the project can borrow money, which is vital for its development.

Mr Speyer said the Burton Street Project now has a turnover of £1.5m and employs about 80 people.

"When we took it over it was in very, very poor condition," he said. "It's still in poor condition, but gradually we have managed to do it up a lot.

"At the time we took on the lease it was a liability to the council, but we have made it into an asset."

It is also among projects shortlisted for the Big Lottery Fund's Living Landmark programme, which he said could bring around £17m to the city.

Mr Speyer said this money would be used for a thorough refurbishment of the centre, building a new cafe bar area, landscaping and improving nearby streets.

He believed this would transform the centre from an underperforming to a high-performing site.

Cllr Wilson added that the council now uses the Burton Street Project as a "benchmark" and it has paved the way for other community groups in the city.