Chingford Community Centre Faces Rent Hike Threat From Local Council

Hey, there’s a fight to save Mornington Hall. It’s a community spot in North Chingford and volunteers are upset with the local council, because the council wants to change the hall’s lease badly.

Since 2005, CADOS, a drama and opera group, has managed Mornington Hall. Now, the hall’s future seems uncertain as about 500 people use it each week and fourteen local groups use the space.

The council gave CADOS a 50-year lease long ago, with the rent reviewed sometimes. Last year, the rent was £25,000. This year in January, the council changed things.

The council wants CADOS to trade their lease. They offered a five-year lease at £17,000, but this had a three-month exit clause which CADOS thinks discourages long-term effort.

The council’s email said another option exists: CADOS could pay £85,000 per year in rent. CADOS worries this could bankrupt them, especially as this huge rent would start back in June.

The council dropped the backdated rent charge and offered a 15-year lease now. However, CADOS needs a £120,000 lottery grant first and the lottery, in turn, needs a 15-year lease to begin with.

CADOS feels stuck and they want to work with the council. A huge rent increase makes that hard to do, as volunteers might quit. A short lease feels too risky for CADOS.

The council says it wants a fair policy and to treat CADOS like other groups. They value CADOS’s community help and are sorry for the confusion caused. They want to keep working together well, saying the hall isn’t closing. The council values CADOS’ work very much.