Malvern Town Council Rent Demand Would Cripple Malvern Community Action

2.42.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Fri 5th Oct 2007

West Worcestershire's Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Candidate, Richard Burt, today delivered a withering attack on Malvern Town Council plans to increase rent to Community Action, based in their town centre offices, by nearly ten fold.

Mr Burt said that plans to increase the peppercorn rent from £900 per annum to a commercial rent in the region of £8,000 would cripple the organisation and might result in many of its activities folding.

Town councillors plan to bring the proposals to a meeting of the council on 30th October, but the Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate said they would do untold damage to voluntary service in the district and should withdraw the proposals immediately.

"I have had close contacts with Community Action over the past year and place a very high value on the services they provide, as do many thousands of clients to who benefit from their activities and support.

"If Malvern Town Council press ahead with their plans to charge a commercial rent, they will put vital voluntary services across the district in serious jeopardy.

"It is madness to contemplate doing this just to help save a few pence on the Town Council precept, and I feel sure residents in Malvern would never forgive them."

"Not only would the Town Council be grabbing nearly 10% of Community Action's turnover in rent alone, but if they insist on transferring their tenancy from a license to a one year renewable lease, there would be no security of tenure either. This will make it far more difficult to attract funding from external sources to keep activities going.

"The net result would be catastrophic. Community Action currently support 120 voluntary groups in Malvern alone. Last year over 800 shopping trips and nearly 4000 car journeys were made for older people and those who need to attend hospital appointments.

"Without a base to operate from and with reduced funding, all these services would be at risk.

"Community Action's support for the most vulnerable in our district is incalculable. Malvern Town Councillors should withdraw their plans immediately."