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CAPFA

Craven Arms Playing Fields Association (CAPFA)
4th May 2018


Craven Arms Community Centre (CasCA) – Soft Market Testing

Craven Arms Playing Fields Association (CAPFA) is currently considering options for the future management and lease arrangements of Craven Arms Community Centre, also known as CasCA.

The building delivers a range of community services for Craven Arms and the surrounding local rural area, these services include:
• Leisure and Sport
• Arts
• Library / IT facilities
• Community space for hire
• Education
• Community Liaison

To this end we wish to discuss and affirm our current understanding of what the market has to offer to assist us to deliver the services required by our community in future years. This initial process is intended as early market engagement only and no obligations or commitments are made on either side at this stage.

Scope and Process

Please note that this is not the commencement of any formal procurement process and the CAPFA is not committed to carrying out such a process. For the avoidance of doubt, no information provided in response to this process will be used by CAPFA in assessing providers during any subsequent procurement process.
This early market engagement exercise is intended to allow providers to outline their views and ideas and to provide information with no commitment to themselves or CAPFA. CAPFA will consider the information received as a result of this exercise to help inform an options appraisal and subsequent decision-making process in relation to the facility.

Disclaimer
The information in this document is solely for the purpose of the current early market engagement process and no representation, warranty, or undertaking is given by CAPFA as to its accuracy or completeness, and the CAPFA accepts no liability in relation to it.
Facility Information
To provide a key community venue and indoor sports facility for Craven Arms and the surrounding communities. Craven Arms town has a population of 2,300 but it also serves a much wider rural area totalling at least 7,000 people.
Initially, the facility was operated by a charity with support from South Shropshire District Council until 2009. In 2013 the original charity ceased to exist and the building was leased to South Shropshire Furniture Scheme, with Shropshire Council providing a management agreement for the structural repairs / maintenance of the building until 31st March 2018.

Shropshire Council no longer has any formal role in relation to the building, although there are contracts related to services delivered in the facility, such as the library.

CAPFA is a charity and landlord of the building and the surrounding playing fields. Craven Arms Town Council are the sole corporate trustee of CAPFA.

The current leaseholders for the building have given notice to terminate their lease and are looking to renegotiate the current lease. CAPFA also wish to consider all other options that may be available.

The facility mix consists of the following:
3 x badminton court sports hall
4 x meeting rooms seating from 10 – 200 people
1 x sports pavilion
2 x changing rooms
Catering kitchen operating as a café for the building currently


Craven Arms Childcare and Pre School permanently occupy an annexe on the front of the building to deliver on-site childcare services 5 days per week which has a separate access.

The building is also surrounded by public open space in the form of playing fields, play area, BMX track, floodlit multiuse games area, skate ramps and a soon to be installed outdoor gym. The land is owned by CAPFA and managed by the Town Council via a lease, but the facilities are available for use by the operator of the building.

Car parking consists of two car parks, one accommodating approximately 20 spaces at the front of the building, owned by CAPFA. The second car park owned by Shropshire Council and is situated adjacent to the playing fields on Newington Way, accommodating a further 25 parking spaces. There is a nearby public car park on Corvedale Rd, which is linked to the facility by a surfaced footpath.

For more details on current usage of the building, please visit https://furniturescheme.co.uk/centres/casca-centre/

The Shropshire Indoor Leisure Facilities Strategy (2018-2023) identifies Craven Arms Community Centre as a ‘Tier 3 - Leisure Hub’ and therefore will not receive any financial support from Shropshire Council going forwards in relation to leisure provision.

Shropshire Council has allocated £38,500 for structural repairs to the building which will be undertaken within the next two years. This is as a result of a full conditions survey of the building undertaken in Autumn 2017.

We are inviting expressions of interest in discussing our future options by Monday 4th June, either by post or email. Following this we will be happy to arrange site visits for those confirming an interest and will hold further discussions with interested parties after this date.
If in the meantime you would like an informal discussion regarding this early market engagement process and the facility in general please contact me; details are shown below.

Yours sincerely

Eric Williams
Secretary to CAPFA
cewilliams1@btinternet.com  Mobile: 07854497702