“FIRE WORKS” are under way at Alton Community Centre with a £90,000 project to ensure the ageing building meets current fire safety standards.

Almost reaching completion, the work, commissioned by property owner East Hampshire District Council (EHDC), “will bring the building in line with the latest fire regulations to ensure the safety of visitors and staff at the centre”.

Referring to the project as “the Grenfell Tower effect”, Alton Community Association treasurer Nicholas Branch said that the community centre, built in the 1870s, has recently undergone a “high-level fire safety inspection” following which it became clear that a significant upgrade was needed.

Not wishing to waste time, the work was immediately commissioned with EHDC, as the authority responsible for the structural maintenance of the building, providing the lion’s share of the expected £90,000 cost, and Alton Community Association, as trustees responsible for internal maintenance and for running the centre, expected to contribute a share said to be between £17,000 and £20,000.

An EHDC spokesman said: “Alton Community Centre is an important building at the heart of the town and it needed work to bring it up to standard. The work carried out has included compartmentation, replacement fire doors, internal glazing, and other fire safety measures.”

It has been a worrying time for Alton Community Association which, following the survey, is not only under pressure to get the fire safety work completed by November 1 or risk being closed down, but also to find the funding to do so.

Having negotiated a loan from EHDC, spread over four equal yearly instalments, Mr Branch pointed out that Alton Community Association’s contribution is “a big number for a little charity”.

Nonetheless, every effort has been made to source funding, with special credit given to Alton Community Association chairman Pat Lerew, whose efforts came up trumps this week with the awarding of a Community Capital Buildings Fund Grant by Hampshire County Council of £12,400 toward the work, which has also included refurbishment of internal doors, replacement of electrical sockets, fire exit signage and detection, fire shutters for the community cafe? and works to false ceilings to ensure appropriate fire rating.

“Overjoyed” with the county council’s support for the project, which will help off-set the loan, Mr Branch stressed that it was “business as usual” at Alton Community Centre with users flocking back to a new term of adult education classes, U3A, playgroup, youth club and community club (for seniors) activities, alongside blood-doning sessions and, today (Thursday) the town council Amery Ward byelection.

Having supported Alton Community Association’s application for a county council community grant, Alton county councillor Andrew Joy has thanked his county colleagues for providing support at a time when it is most needed.

He said: “Alton Community Association is the well-organised but always financially pressurised core supporter and provider of community services in the town.

“Although there were plans some 10 years ago by EHDC to build a new community centre to meet growing demand and the need for updated and adaptive community buildings, the availability and adequacy of capital funding resource has diminished significantly and there is no longer a budget resource for a replacement. As a consequence, substantial resources have been directed to upgrade the existing centre and more needs to be done, at the very least to meet safety standards.”

He continued: “I am full of admiration for the continuing and determined commitment of the Alton Community Association trustees to enhance further their capacity for community support by improving this important building. They are doing a tremendous job in tough financial times.”