Harefield Community Centre SUA Disgrace! (Case Ref: DP5613) Archived Message Posted by Gerard on September 25, 2025, 6:05 pm "FYI Folks..Im trying to ensure we have a community space to use pls. diseminate the Wolf's Head Videos et.al. We deserve answers to this! I've been monitoring it for 15 years! Frankly it stinks of corruption. Gerard ----- Forwarded message ----- From: Gerard Hales To: Darren Paffey MP Sent: Thursday, 25 September 2025 at 17:53:31 BST Subject: Re: Harefield Community Centre SUA Disgrace! (Case Ref: DP5613) Thank you Darren. I question the transparency of a process that can see a "community trust" being given responsibility for the site as a means of removing such from communal hands & also one which appears to have encouraged collusion with SUA in such deception by allowing the buildings & site to fall into such dangerous disrepair. It also seems that the narrative concerning which is, at best, variable; "The trust, which runs other community hubs in Northam and St Mary’s, has been forced to halt investment in the site due to "financial pressures caused by the pandemic". Chief Executive Rick Harwood said: “When we took on the centre in February 2020, it had been empty and in a state of dilapidation for possibly five years or more when it was owned by the council.": Community centre becomes vandalism hotspot after a decade of neglect regards Gerard Hales On Thursday, 25 September 2025 at 16:22:44 BST, Darren Paffey MP wrote: Dear Gerald, Thank you for your email about Harefield Community Centre and for sharing your concerns about the future of the site. I appreciate how strongly local people feel about this issue. By way of background, the centre had not been in use for many years when, in 2017, it was transferred to West Itchen Community Trust (WICT) along with six other community centres. As part of that transfer, WICT were permitted to dispose of the Harefield site, but any resources raised are legally required to be reinvested into the six remaining centres. The Leader of the Council is due to meet with WICT shortly to remind them of this obligation and to ensure it is fulfilled. Since the centre closed in 2010 when there was no alternative group to run it, the site has unfortunately fallen into disrepair and become subject to vandalism. But I know there are different views locally on what should now happen. Some residents are keen to see a new community use, while others, particularly those living nearby, simply want the site redeveloped. It is also a difficult site to work with, given the number of tree preservation orders, although WICT did purchase an adjacent piece of land which could potentially be used as a woodland play area. I understand how frustrating this situation is for residents who feel Harefield has been left behind. I am seeking assurance from the Council that they will be holding WICT to account for their legal obligations, and I am following this matter closely. I will also ask colleagues to update me following the upcoming meeting with WICT so I can provide you with clarity on the next steps. Best wishes, Darren Paffey MP Member of Parliament for Southampton Itchen House of Commons London SW1A 0AA Telephone: 02380 019373 Social Media: @DarrenPaffey ________________________________________ From: "Gerard Hales " Sent: 11 September 2025 18:41 To: twinetony@gmail.com, tim.dennis@frontlinedebtadvice.org.uk, darren.paffey.mp@parliament.uk, info@spectrumcil.co.uk, councillor.s.kaur@southampton.gov.uk, glynoliver13@gmail.com, brenda.knopf@btinternet.com Subject: Harefield Community Centre SUA Disgrace! Can anyone tell me how the Harefield Community Centre (previously held in "community trust" -clearly not something this community can do re: SUA), has come to be on the open market for development? It's not an unexpected development in any way, however, the community are (rightly) outraged. What does our head of council have to say? What does our M.P have to say? regards Gerard Hales" Message Thread: Harefield Community Centre SUA Disgrace! (Case Ref: DP5613) - Gerard September 25, 2025, 6:05 pm Nb. - Gerard September 25, 2025, 6:17 pm   Searching