PLANS to open a community hub in Leominster town centre have moved forward.

Leominster Town Council agreed last week to allow its clerk to draw down £350,000 of the £500,000 loan from the Public Works Loan Board it has been given to fund the purchase and initial refurbishment of 11 Corn Square.

As previously reported by the Hereford Times, the town council plans to use the building as a community hub, with offers already having been received from interested parties.

The Town Council plans to retain ownership of its current offices on West Street and rent it out on the open market.

Herefordshire Council agreed to the sell the property – which once housed the Citizens Advice Bureau and has been empty for more than a year – for £278,500 in December.

One of four ward councillors, Cllr Peter McCaull has called for the town council to acquire the lease to the library instead but Herefordshire Council said this was at odds with the resolution of the full town council and that he would have to raise the issue with them.

However, not all councillors agreed with the scheme and at last week's meeting, Cllr Robert Barton said: "This council is in a unique position because in two years' time we won't have any debt and I am still very much of the opinion that to borrow £350,000 and to [leave] future generations with that amount of debt on an asset that I think is a very high maintenance asset – I still think it's something we shouldn't really do when we could have this place debt free in two years.

"I still don't think it's the wisest thing to do in view of both the national and international situation."

However, many councillors supported the view that it was an opportunity to buy an investment and believed it would be cost neutral to the tax payers of Leominster.

Cllr Clive Thomas said: "We have got to consider that but if we bring our other services together I think that we will be doing this town a big favour by having everything in one office.

"I can see in the future or I feel in the future the county council will even drop more services and it will be 'if you don't do it nobody will do it'.

"I do feel this town council has been quite proactive at looking at doing something like this.

It will be an investment. We have got the opportunity to borrow at a rate we will never ever see again."

Three councillors at last week's meeting voted against the move – Councillor Pauline Davies, Councillor Robert Barton and Councillor Lee Taylor.

The remaining present members approved the recommendation.