Council plans to transfer Barrow’s Nan Tait Centre to community organisations
Westmorland and Furness Council is preparing to transfer Barrow’s historic Nan Tait Centre to a community organisation.
The Grade II-listed building on Abbey Road is one of ten council-owned sites included in a wider property disposal programme.
However, the proposal is not expected to involve an ordinary sale to a private developer. The council is working towards a community asset transfer that could allow organisations already based inside the building to take greater control of its future.
What is planned for the Nan Tait Centre?
A community asset transfer allows a council-owned building to pass to a charity, voluntary group or other not-for-profit organisation.
This can involve transferring the freehold or granting a long lease, often at less than full market value when clear community benefits can be shown.
Organisations occupying the Nan Tait Centre hope the process will lead to a long-term leasehold transfer. Services are continuing as normal while discussions take place.
The final agreement would depend on a suitable business case showing that the organisations could manage, maintain and fund the building over the long term.
Which groups use the building?
The Nan Tait Centre is home to a range of charities, community projects, arts organisations and office users.
Women’s Community Matters is among the groups operating from the centre. The charity has reassured service users that it remains open and that support continues to be available from the building.
The centre has also been used for citizenship ceremonies, community activities, exhibitions and cultural events.
A transfer could help protect these uses while giving local organisations more control over how the building is run.
Why is the council disposing of properties?
Westmorland and Furness Council owns a large number of buildings and pieces of land inherited from former local authorities.
Its property strategy includes reviewing whether each asset is still required, affordable and suitable for delivering services.
Buildings that are no longer needed directly by the council can be sold, leased or transferred to another organisation.
The Nan Tait Centre appears in a wider disposal programme involving ten sites. The council’s aim is to reduce costs, make better use of its estate and raise funds where properties are sold on the open market.
Could the building be sold privately?
The current direction is towards a community asset transfer rather than a straightforward private sale.
That distinction is important because a sale on the open market could create uncertainty for the charities and services based inside.
A community transfer could offer stronger protection by keeping the building in local use. Any agreement would need to explain who would be responsible for repairs, insurance, running costs and future investment.
If the proposed transfer did not proceed, the council could later have to reconsider its options. No final private sale has been announced.
Historic building dates back to 1903
The Nan Tait Centre was originally built as Barrow’s Technical School.
Construction began in 1900 and the building officially opened in 1903. It was later restored and renamed after Agnes “Nan” Tait, who served as Mayor of Barrow between 1959 and 1960.
The red-brick building is Grade II listed because of its architectural and historic importance. Its protected status means major changes would require listed-building consent.
The centre underwent a major redevelopment in the early 2000s and has since been used for offices, arts, cultural activities and public services.
What happens next?
The community organisations involved will need to prepare a detailed case showing that they can run the centre in a financially stable way.
The council will then consider the proposed terms of any lease or transfer.
Until that process is complete, the Nan Tait Centre remains council-owned and the groups based there are continuing to operate.
For users of the building, the main message is that it is not closing as part of the current proposal. The plan is intended to place its future in the hands of community organisations rather than remove the services it currently provides.
