Former home of Peterborough arts and culture organisations to become 'urgently needed' care leavers facility
Metal Peterborough will be longer be able to rent space from the city council on a rent-free basis.
Chauffer’s Cottage, close to Peterborough city centre, is set to become a new care leavers day facility.
The building, which is located on St Peter’s Road just through a gateway of the cathedral’s wall, is currently home to Metal Culture as well as Peterborough Positive, theatre company Eastern Angles, Red 7 Productions as well as several creative freelancers among the tenants of the building.
Peterborough City Council has, however, evicted the groups by bringing their lease to an end at the end of December.
The council has said that it has had to make the decision due to the urgent need for a new care leavers day facility in the city and due to financial pressure.
The council has now explained that using Chauffers Cottage will lower costs. The council has also said that it was no longer able to support the rent-free agreement it previously had with Metal.
The cottage has been leased rent-free to Metal since 2011 and acted as a creative space for artists in the city. PCC had previously granted the organisation £150,000 until 2025 with ongoing activity at the hub among the conditions to be met for receiving the money on a monthly basis.
The organisations are hoping to remain housed together but are seeking a new home, one which the council has said will need to come with a rental agreement.
Cllr Dennis Jones, Leader of PCC, said: "Although we greatly value the work of Metal Culture, we need the building to create a new dedicated Care Leavers Day Facility – something which was identified by Ofsted as urgently needed in the city.
"Using this site means we can create the facility at a lower cost, which is essential given our very difficult financial position.
“The day facility needs to be in a city centre location, with good public transport links, so that it is easily accessible.
"Chauffeurs Cottage is ideally situated, it is private enough to allow confidentiality and has an outdoor space which can be used by the young people it serves.
"The facility will be a base for the new house project for care leavers to help the council meet its statutory responsibilities.
"Care leavers will be able to access a range of advice and support which will help with improving outcomes for this vulnerable group.
“Since 2011 Chauffeurs Cottage has been leased to Metal Culture on a rent-free basis. Our current budget pressures do not allow this arrangement to continue and any future venue we provide for Metal will be on a paid rented basis.”