As regular readers of the Messenger will be aware there has been a great deal of activity surrounding the future of the New Deal Company over the last few months.
We have, as those who attended the public meeting will be aware, been working with Sheffield City Council to try and reach a solution for the future of the Company and its assets; this is because the Partnership Board have had to make the regrettable decision that the Company will have to close at the end of the Programme in March 2011.
This decision was a very difficult one for the Partnership Board to accept but in order to secure a future for Vestry Hall and Sorby House they felt they had no choice but to act in this way.
By working with the Council the Board have been able to secure the transfer of these buildings to the Council who are committed to ensuring that they continue to operate as far as possible in line with the aims and aspirations of the New Deal company.
The Council will pass Vestry Hall to their Community Buildings Team to operate within their portfolio of premises providing services to both commercial and community occupiers, whilst Sorby House will probably pass into the control of Kier Asset Partnerships who manage the council’s operational portfolio of accommodation and who will operate it to the benefit of our existing tenants and seek to secure new occupiers.
Jeremy Diskin Executive Asset Manager for BNDfC confirms: “it has been a long and difficult process to get to this position and there have been a great number of obstacles to negotiate in reaching what I believe is the best possible outcome for the community, the buildings and our occupiers.”
The Board are now working to finalise the transfer of the buildings and at the same time are looking to ensure that the achievements of the programme are not forgotten, so watch the next issue for more information.