Controversial move sees Sidcup youth centre handed over to college for 25 years

Sidcup Youth Centre in Burnt Oak Lane will be taken over by Rose Bruford College, which runs arts degree programmes, on a 25-year lease.

Following a backlash, Bexley Council has defended its decision, claiming “community use will continue”.

The move comes not long after work took place on the building’s roof, which the local authority has described as “essential maintenance” that made it “more suitable for lease”.

It is understood that local groups will still be able to use the external playing pitches, but they will not have access to the building itself.

Loraine Simmonds, who has lived in the area for the last 40 years, told the News Shopper she thought it was “sad” that the local community could no longer use the centre.

She explained: “I have no objection to Rose Bruford. What I don’t think is good is that we are losing some of our youth services.

“Everyone complains that kids are into their PlayStations – maybe this is why.

“My children used to go to the youth centre so it will be a shame if it’s closed down.”

She added that while it was reassuring that the council had confirmed that the land will not be sold for development, she still had concerns about the lack of youth services in the area.

“If Rose Bruford could incorporate a youth club and make it open to the community and not just their students, then that would be a good thing,” she said.

Bexley Council said that the college is not building any new structures on the site and would only carry out “internal improvements to the building”.

A planning application has been submitted by Rose Bruford to officially change the use of the building from a youth centre to an educational facility.

The college has said that works will include internal decoration, putting down new flooring and some “general external tidy-up and maintenance”.

A Bexley Council spokesperson said: “The site has not been used as a youth centre since mid-December 2024 when the service moved to a new site at Hurst Community Centre in Sidcup.

“We are delighted that young people will still be using the site now that Rose Bruford have taken up the lease.”