A FORMER community centre in Brynmawr is set to be transferred to a martial arts group.

At a meeting of Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council’s Labour Cabinet on Wednesday, December 4 senior councillors received a report on the former community centre at Orchard Street in the town.

The building had been used as an adult learning centre and Brynmawr Town Council had been based on an upper floor.

The building was given to Aneurin Leisure Trust when they were established but budget cutbacks meant the centre was handed back to the council in 2015.

In 2016 the council had started the process of a community asset transfer (CAT) to Storm Kick Boxing Academy.

But it had been found in 2018 that academy had not been able to set itself up as a charity.

In 2020 a boxing club agreed to take over the building, but the process was delayed and not signed off due to issues over ceiling repairs.

Deputy council leader and environment portfolio holder Cllr Helen Cunningham said:  “In 2021 the council were notified of unauthorised works, the building was closed and a condition survey done.

“Immediate priority works for asbestos removal and isolation were done due to the significance of the damage.”

Options for selling the building at auction or to a social landlord could have netted the council around £50,000 had been looked into.

Cllr Cunningham said: “But in doing that a community asset would be lost that is unlikely to be replaced.”

She added that the county councillors for Brynmawr had “raised the prospect” of a martial arts club being able to take on the facility.

Cllr Cunningham told councillors that the cost of bringing the building up to standard would be “around” £87,000 and that the council can’t afford to do this.

Cllr Cunningham said that the martial arts group had submitted a transfer request for the building and were now working with the Brynmawr councillors to identify funding for the work they need to do.

Cllr Cunningham said:  “The aspiration is to allow the group time to make those bids and to make the necessary works under council supervision.”

She said there were risks with the transfer as the council would need to be: “satisfied” with the work,

But the risk could be reduced by putting deadlines on how long the group will have to find the funding and fix the building.

Cllr Cunningham said: “What the history of the building underscores is that CAT will require the appropriate level of oversight to ensure the council does not have the costs responsibility indefinitely.”

Cabinet member for regeneration and economic development Cllr John Morgan said: “It’s pleasing to see that somebody has come along wanting to take it over like this club has, but we have to make sure that the work is inspected as we go along.”

He stressed there was a need for all those who have taken on buildings through CAT that they have the necessary planning permissions in place before any work is done.

Cabinet agreed to the building’s transfer.