End of the line for historic Dudley pub building
An historic Dudley pub that reopened as a community centre is set to be knocked down and a new facility built in its place.
The two-storey community centre on Salop Street in Dudley was formerly the British Oak pub, but since 2003 has been used by the Dudley Community Church.
The church sponsors and administers the community centre's activities, which are open to the general public and include counselling services.
However the church now wants to demolish the premises and build a single-storey brick building on the site instead.
As well as allowing them to take on three extra staff, the new building will have a kitchen, open plan dining area capable of accommodating 90 people, individual counselling rooms of various sizes and play rooms.
There will also be a computer room, office space, storage rooms, and toilets.
In their plans for a new building the applicants state: "Due to the success of the centre, the present building, a refurbished public house, is no longer suited in layout and size, to the needs of the services on offer to the community.
"Hence the intention to demolish the existing building and utilise the plot, together with a small area behind it, to construct a new, specifically designed facility."
"This will provide a much more functional counselling centre where the specialist services on offer can be better employed enhancing their effectiveness and increasing success rates. In addition, a greater number of families and individuals can be counselled."
The services to be provided will include free meals to the homeless and needy three times per week, assistance with job hunting and applications, financial planning, drug and alcohol advice, and counselling for all ages group with mental, social or emotional needs.
The applicants add: "All of the above are currently undertaken in the existing building which by size and room layout restricts the effectiveness and number of people helped. Aside from the provision of free meals, the services to be provided are very much on a one to one basis, thus the number of clients dealt with at any one time is limited to the number of staff employed at any one time.
"It is hoped that when the new building is fully operational there will be an increase of three staff."
Castle and Priory Councillor Ken Finch said: "The work that the church does is absolutely marvellous. There is a great community spirit. Anything that they can do to expand their services will be welcome."
