Prestolee Zac's Centre revamp to take 'around 10 weeks'

The Zac’s Centre on Crompton Road, Prestolee, has been empty since 2022 when the charity decided it could no longer continue running.

But a funding deal at Bolton Council now looks set to revive the centre and Cllr Debbie Newall, of Kearsley, says she has now confirmed how the refurbishment process will work.

Cllr Newall said: “Ward Councillors met with officers to confirm our next steps.

“Refurbishments are expected to take around 10 weeks so we are looking at the building being ready in late spring.

Bolton Council decided to keep the centre under local authority ownership (Image: Newsquest)

“We now have to find interested groups to take ownership of the building and come forward with their plans for community activities.

“Cllr Livesey and I are thrilled that the plans that started about two years ago when we called in the decision to sell the building are now coming to fruition and the people of Kearsley can now forward to having long-awaited community facilities again.”

The Zac’s Centre had at first been on a list of intended “community asset transfers”, which would have meant it would have been taken out of Bolton Council’s ownership.

But after a deal struck following last year’s local elections the incoming Labour Group agreed to keep the building in council ownership and approve repair costs of under £10,000.

This came in return for the support of the One Kearsley group, then led by Cllr Paul Heslop who has since stepped down, in helping them form the new administration.

ALSO READ: Vacant community centre to reopen with 'movement soon' on rebuilding bowling club

ALSO READ: Approval for community centre for area with 'few facilities'

ALSO READ: Party leader and founder announces surprise resignation

In February this year, Bolton Council approved a decision to take the Zac’s Centre off the list of buildings up for community asset transfers.

A report put before the authority that month said that the growth of Kearsley’s population over the last 25 years had left it sorely in need of a council run community centre.

It said: “There is a strong case for a council-owned small community centre for Kearsley given the above points that the area is out of kilter with having almost no council property when compared to many other parts of the Bolton borough.

“In the local area there has been in recent times and currently there are a number of shops in the area, public houses including two restaurants, a nursery, a garden centre, an industrial estate, an adhesives manufacturer, a mixed use mill, a garage and a water treatment plant, all of which demonstrate the population needs in Kearsley, with these same needs that would benefit from a council-owned community centre."