A COMMUNITY Centre’s expansion is facing uncertainty as the government decides the on future of the levelling up fund.
Plans to add a new room in the first floor flat of the Comer Gardens Institute were approved by Worcester City Council in October.
But the future of the project is now up in the air after Labour announced a six-week consultation on the levelling up fund would take place.
Worcester’s Labour MP said the fund was “never backed up by any budget”.
The consultation will conclude in mid-December.
Tor Pingree, Worcester City Councillor for St Clement, said: “£140,000 total is going to be needed for the expansion
“Most of it is being funded by the developers and the city council but around £40,000 is supposed to be coming from the levelling up fund.
“We put together the city council’s budget before the autumn budget was announced because the government took so long to put there’s out.
“If that money is suddenly not there, it puts the city council in a really difficult position.”
A £5 million funding pot for the city was announced by the Conservative government in March.
£1.6 million has been earmarked to create a space that can host events and exhibitions on the mezzanine levels of the Corn Exchange in Angel Street.
The council had suggested that £200,000 could be spent on cladding for the arches on Cherry Tree Walk and £65,000 on a mobile music vehicle for events in the city.
The future of these projects is also uncertain should the levelling up fund be scrapped.
“The previous government said we’d definitely have the money, but the new government haven’t decided whether they will or not,” Cllr Pingree said.
Tom Collins, MP for Worcester, said: “We have a right to be angry about £5 million that was promised to the city but was never funded.
“The previous government promised it but never backed it up with any budget.
“I’m not sure how this will turn out but I will absolutely help to find more funding if we don’t get the £5 million.”
Cllr Pingree is confident that the expansion would happen and funding would come from somewhere.
She said: “There are other ways that could get it done, we could apply for the lottery fund.
“But it’s difficult to make choices when you don’t know what’s coming.”