Sway Parish Council launches consultation on proposals to increase precept by up to £55 per year for Band-D homes to secure future of youth centre

RESIDENTS in a New Forest village may have to stump up an extra £55 per year in council tax to save their community building.

Sway Youth Centre was built by the village’s parish council around 50 years ago thanks to funding from New Forest District Council and other local groups including 1st Sway Guides, which uses the building for its meetings.

The centre, on land owned by the Parochial Church Council of St Luke's, which leases it to the parish council for a nominal rent, is well used for meetings, clubs and parties, but is “far from optimal in its design and layout”. It is also home to Robin’s Nursery pre-school.

The parish council has now launched a consultation on the future of the building, with four options put forward – which would see the council’s tax precept hiked by between £15 to £55 for a band-D home.

Residents have already seen a small increase in recent years, with the 2025/26 precept set at £64.68 for a Band-D property, an increase of £10.52 from £54.16 in 2024/25. It was slightly lower in 2023/24, at

£49.49 for the year.

Consultation documents on the parish council website state: “The ground lease comes to an end in 2029 at which time the PCC of St Luke's Church needs to decide the future of the site. This date could be brought forward by agreement with both parties.

“The lease could be renewed through commercial negotiation if it was deemed in the best interest of the church as a registered charity. However, this is not an option that Sway Parish Council would recommend to the residents to consider, given the cost and long-term-risks of the building in its current state. It is much more difficult to justify investment or source funding for a building which is leased.”

A working group set up by the parish council has explored “multiple options”, with the three most viable being opened to consultation.

Option one would see Sway Parish Council buy the land and existing building and adapt or enhance the facility for future use. This could include an improved cafe and more flexible spaces.

Owning the freehold of the building will enable the parish council to apply for grants and funding to upgrade it, it says, but will depend on a survey of the building as some areas already require “significant investment”.

Option two would see the parish council acquire the site but develop a new community centre on the land alongside assisted living or retirement homes. The consultation adds a “new, flexible, sustainable building” could accommodate “many uses and enhance the aesthetic of the site”.

It adds: “The remainder of the site could be developer for later living single person flats. The village has no provision for this which means church congregation members often have to move elsewhere. The building could accommodate the functions and activities currently hosted with the church rooms, which would be demolished to open up the view and access to the church.”

A car park would provide spaces for the new properties as well as those using the church and community centre.

Option three would see an extension to the Jubilee Field pavilion, to create a “distinctively designed, more modern, community-focused building” including a hall and other activity rooms.

“The extension would be light and developed from sustainable materials as well as being flexible and environmentally sustainable”, the document states, adding: “The building would be able to provide a community cafe, as well as spaces for all existing youth centre activities. A multi-use games area outside could provide for basketball, football and cage cricket during winter months.”

While the land has a covenant on it, legal advice received by the church says it should not prohibit any uses being considered.

Relinquishing the youth centre building and providing no alternative could mean the parish council is liable for demolition costs. This would mean an increase in council tax of £15 per household for approximately five years, then £7.50 thereafter – although the consultation document does not state for how long this would be.

On funding, the parish council said there were “many variables”, including the availability of grants and local fundraising, the cost of acquiring the site, the size and design of the preferred option, and interest rates on a public works loan.

A spokesperson explained: “Our current best estimate is a range of increase in precept of between £30 and £55 per household per year, based on a council tax Band-D rated house.

“Sway Parish Council ran a village residents’ survey in 2020 [and] at the time there was a proposal to extend the village hall – 83% of respondents said that they supported SPC funds being invested in the project and 70% of residents also supported an increase in the precept to enable this or other enhanced facilities.

“Communities across the Forest have raised money to take over and develop assets, to preserve or enhance amenities [such as] East Boldre Community shop and Foxlease in Lyndhurst.”

A weeklong exhibition outlining the options opened on Saturday. A presentation of all options and a question and answer session will take place at St Luke’s Church on 9th April between 7pm and 8pm. For more information visit www.sway-pc.gov.uk/youth-centre-consultation