Volunteers hope that a new lease will ensure South Ruislip Community Centre will be available for people to use for years.

Brian Robinson, chairman of South Ruislip Community Association (SRCA) said a 25-year-lease on the centre in Deane Park, Long Drive, came up for renewal in 2011, but Hillingdon Council officers have yet to come up with a lease that the association is happy to sign.

Its previous long-term agreement was replaced with a standard voluntary sector lease, offered by the council to a range of voluntary groups and organisations including scouts, brownies and community sports groups, and which lasts for 15 years.

But Mr Robinson, 55, said the SRCA is not satisfied with that, and worries the community centre will not be guaranteed another lease in 15 years time.

The community centre hit the headlines last year when CCTV footage of a 'ghost' outside the building's entrance went viral, notching up more than 100,000 Youtube views.

The SRCA organised a petition in 2011 which was signed by 1,054 people, calling for protection for the community centre for years to come.

It caught the attention of council leader Ray Puddifoot, who according to the SRCA, offered to make the 15 year lease a rolling contract.

“We submitted the petition because we wanted to show the strength of feeling of local people to keep the community centre running for years to come,” Mr Robinson explained.

“We think the idea of the rolling lease is great but we want it written into the lease, and the council tell us that can’t be done.

“We have no guarantee that Mr Puddifoot will still be there in 15 years time to offer us the rolling lease.

“Our association has been in existence for 80-odd years and we feel a responsibility to ensure the long term future of it so that generations to come have access to the community centre.

“At the moment, the lease that the council is offering cannot do that for us. The site is not on green belt land so we are worried that the council might, in 15 years’ time, decide they want to build on it.”

Mr Puddifoot said: “Our voluntary sector leasing policy is exceedingly generous.

“South Ruislip Community Association will be required to expect the same terms and conditions as all our voluntary sector groups in Hillingdon.

“The community association are currently disputing the terms of the lease with the borough’s legal department.”

Mr Robinson said he hoped an agreement can be made that will benefit both the SRCA and the council, and that they will be able to work together in the future.

Related stories:

Community building sell-off to press ahead despite opposition

Day centre fight is back on