WORK has finally started on Dursley’s new youth centre after a six-year wait.

The renovation of the ground floor of the Parsonage at Dursley Tabernacle Church into a multi-use centre for children aged 11 to 19 has begun following the selection of the contractor to carry out the renovations.

As part of the conversion, an access ramp will be created at the front of the building and new heating and electrical fittings will be installed.

Following a rigorous selection process, Dursley Town Council and Dursley Tabernacle Church have hired local firm Stevenson Building Contractors to carry out the work.

The £300,000 costs are being met by the council and from developers’ contributions, with £107,000 coming from Sainsbury’s, as part of their agreement when they built the supermarket on the former youth centre site on Castle Street, which was demolished in 2008.

Gloucestershire Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl has also pledged £10,000 from the Commissioner's fund, which aims to help communities get involved in reducing crime and making their neighbourhoods safer.

The church is also investing £90,000 in work to enable the youth centre to be developed, which was boosted by a grant of £5,000 from the All Churches Trust.

The construction work is scheduled to be completed by September this year, with the youth centre opening very soon afterwards.

In addition, the council has been accepted into the Our Place programme, which will provide funding and support for the development of services for young people operating out of the new centre.

A spokeswoman from the Cam and Dursley Youth Forum said the youth centre will be a great place to develop friendships between separate groups of young people.

"It'll give young people a place to go and new things to do," she said.

“It'll give us something to take part in and feel involved with. We cannot wait for it to be opened in September."

For more information please contact Helen Bojaniwska, Town Clerk on 01453 547758 or email clerk@dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk