A series of bespoke centres, offering information and library services and youth and community facilities under one roof, are being established around the city over the coming months.
The Ashmore Park Community Hub will provide services which are currently offered from a number of buildings along Griffiths Drive.
Plans to develop a new link building, which will form the centrepiece of the hub, have now been submitted to Wolverhampton City Council.
The proposals are for the creation of a 134 metres squared glass and steel extension which will house a purpose built library and also join together the existing youth club and Games Barn buildings, both of which will be refurbished to create flexible facilities that can be used by the whole community. Additional parking spaces will be created, bringing the total number to 22.
The new hub will also include a new community gym including showers and changing facilities, 6 multi purpose meeting rooms, lounge, kitchen, sports hall and IT facilities.
Local residents and community organisations have been part of a Community Design Group which has helped shape the proposals for the new hub and the application is due to be determined in the next few weeks.
Councillor Elias Mattu, Wolverhampton City Council's Cabinet Member for Leisure and Communities, said: "Local residents have worked closely with council officers and others to help shape the proposals for the new Ashmore Park Community Hub, and I'd like to thank them for the time and dedication they've given to the development.
"It is exciting to see the project moving forward and reaching an important milestone such as this."
The hub at Ashmore Park is one of 7 new facilities being developed in the first phase of the programme. Community Design Groups are also hard at work shaping hubs at Long Knowle, Wednesfield, Pendeford, Parkfields, Lower Bradley and Low Hill. In each case, the building that will house the hub will undergo substantial refurbishment and modernisation work.
During the second phase, plans will be drawn up for further community hubs in the Whitmore Reans and East Park/Eastfield areas, while 3 larger community service hubs, which will also offer a range of health and social care services, are also in the pipeline.
Councillor Mattu said: "Each of these hubs will be different as they will be developed according to local needs, but in each instance the comments and ideas put forward by the Community Design Groups will be instrumental in shaping the services that are provided.
"There's a lot of work ahead of us but thanks to the support of the local community we've made a very good start. We will of course continue to keep people informed with progress as we move forward."
- released: Tuesday 18 June, 2013