The Vibe in Dursley issues statement about front door

In the Gazette last week we told of how the Vibe youth centre in Dursley, located next to a listed church, could be forced to suspend sessions due to a failing entrance door.

The building sits next to the Grade II-listed Dursley Tabernacle United Reformed Church, and although The Vibe itself is not listed, planning permission is required to replace the door due to its location within the curtilage of the protected site.

And this week a spokesperson for the Vibe has told the Gazette that the site's safety is a priority, adding that most of the other doors on the site have already been upgraded. 

A Vibe spokesperson said: "The trustees of the Vibe are working to gain the correct permissions to be able to replace the door with a fit for purpose replacement.

"The safety of the Vibe Youth Centre and all who use it is a priority to the trustees.

"Just for clarity, yes, the Vibe front door is failing and yes, it needs to be replaced.

"And yes if it fails, sessions will be jeopardised until we can replace it.

"However, until all the permissions are in place, we cannot move forward to replace the door.

"The planning process is overly complicated because the Vibe is on the curtilage of a listed building (the building itself is not a listed building).

"We hope that Stroud District Council can appreciate the awesome work that is done in the Vibe for the town’s young people - and will allow us to change the existing door with a suitable aluminium replacement, in keeping with the heritage of the building, but with an understanding of the centre’s requirements.

"The majority of the external doors on the Dursley Tabernacle site have been updated to high quality aluminium doors, with the correct planning permissions in place.

"Dursley Tab URC works in partnership with Dursley Town Council and is committed to facilitating the Vibe as a youth centre for our broader community to use."

This comes after a Dursley town councillor - who runs sessions at the centre - said that the faulty door could pose a 'fatal' risk if not urgently replaced, especially given its location on a main road and the vulnerability of users.

Dursley Town Council had backed the plans and warned the consequences of inaction could be immediate.

A spokesperson said: “The door is barely fit for use and we are unable to carry out further repairs if it breaks.

“It is the only access that does not impact the church, so the youth centre would be unable to open if the door fails.”

Opened in 2015, The Vibe has hosts a wide range of youth activities, including specialist support sessions for young people dealing with complex family circumstances.