YOUTH projects look set to be boosted by a windfall of over £500,000 – thanks to a supermarket relocating 100 yards down the road.
Lidl paid £1.95million for the former Taunton Youth and Community Centre, in Castle Street, Tangier, Taunton, where building work is progressing on its new store, which will replace the one in Wood Street by mid-December.
The cash is being split between Taunton Deane Council (30%) and Somerset County Council and the TYCC trustees, who get 35% each.
After fees, the TYCC trustees were given £530,000, with £250,000 already allocated to the Centre for Outdoor Activities and Community Hub (COACH), a watersports centre currently under construction in Taunton’s French Weir.
Work progressing on the COACH project in French Weir Park.
The remaining £280,000 must be used for capital youth projects in the district, with the Deane council acting as custodians of the cash.
Councillors must now decide how the kitty is administered, but a report recommends they outsource it to Somerset Community Foundation.
The report says the in-house housing and community project team would not be able to handle the extra workload, while SCF might be able to attract match funding from other sources, offsetting any management costs.
Cllrs Jane Warmington and Catherine Herbert, who share responsibility for potential projects, are delighted with the £530,000 TYCC windfall.
In a joint statement, they said: “To have more than £500,000 to spend on projects for our young people is wonderful news.
“We have allocated some money already to the COACH project.
“We are delighted that the borough council has been able to truly facilitate this superb development by the provision of a suitable site and funding from the sale of TYCC.
“When completed it will attract many more members for training and practising and perhaps inspire future world class canoeists or rowers from Taunton.
“It's exciting to think that some larger capital projects could be supported with this fund to benefit youngsters and (once the arrangements have been settled on) what project applications might come forward.”
No decisions have yet been made on how the balance of money from the sale of the former TYCC site will be allocated.
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