"Greenacres" Update - Still Nothing...(NOW UPDATED AGAIN!)

Nearly two years ago I wrote about what was then called "Greenacres", the scandal of it's continued closure, and the lack of information available about the future of the building. Now, more than three years after it was due to open, the centre is still standing empty. The picture above is what it was supposed to look like - to be honest it does still look that, only without the people.

However, walking past the building a couple of months ago, I noticed it was a relative hive of activity - builders were on site, the smashed windows had been repaired, the security fence had been made more secure. It looked like something was finally happening. There was even a mention in the Birstall Post about it opening in the near future. Who was paying for this work I wondered aloud? No one seemed to know.

In fact since that flurry of activity nothing has happened. I tried to contact the two councillors responsible for the ward via their "Write to Me" sections on their webpages - no reply, not even an acknowledgement of my enquiry. Perhaps this is not surprising, as, back in 2008, the same two councillors said they were "not allowed to talk about it". This seemed astonishing to me at the time, at least £1.7 million of public (and private) money had gone into creating the centre and the councillors responsible for the ward in which it was located couldn't comment on it? Not only that, they couldn't even comment on why they couldn't comment! Even the local newspaper, usually so keen to make capital out of anything that might vaguely embarrass the council, has nothing to say on the subject. It's all very curious. And very frustrating.

I have been a vocal supporter of much that Leicester City Council has done over the last decades, and I think Leicester is a better place now that it was when I rolled up here in the mid-1980s, but this issue has driven me to distraction. If anyone knows anything, could they please tell me (and the other people of Leicester and Leicestershire who contributed to this buildings cost) before I start my own mini "Occupy" demonstration outside (or even inside) the (still rather splendid looking) building.

UPDATE: This building is now being leased to the Great Central Railway rent free for the next (I think) three years. This is good news. They will use it as a cafe on steam days and offices for training. Look on their website for details.