PARENTS who petitioned to keep their Children’s Centre building open in Westbury say they are disappointed but hopeful the service will be moved into Old Westbury Youth Centre.

People interested in the future of the run-down building, which closed in 2014, met yesterday afternoon to find out more about the project.

The building was closed in 2014, after cuts were made to youth centre services. Since then the building has become the victim of graffiti and has bordered up windows.

Parent Nadine Crook attended the meeting following Wiltshire Council’s decision to close down the Children’s Centre space in a building it currently shares with a nursery into the youth centre and said plans were hopeful.

Mrs Crook said: “We feel disappointed but we hope that what they say about the old youth centre will be the case. We want to make sure that what the council say they will do actually happens.

“The building is going to take a lot of work to get it back up to standard and that must be done.

“One of the best parts of the centre is the sensory play room as the children love it there and we needs facilities like this to continue and even expand.

Parent Kirsty Andrews said: “Every mum is an at risk mum. The important thing the children centre provides is a time to go and see other people who have children the same age as you.”

Interest in the building also includes Westbury Shed, a community social project to encourage people to get active as well as making friends.

Headteacher of Westbury Junior School Richard Hatt, chair of the Westbury Community Project, said “The early signs for this new working partnership are positive., there is much to do, but this commitment from Wiltshire Council not only encourages the trustees but also our possible funders. I am sure that the WCP and therefore Westbury will benefit enormously.”

The project has received a £50k grant from the Landfill Communities Fund on behalf of waste company The Hills Group.

A spokesman said: “We are delighted to be able to support this project with a £50,000 grant from the Landfill Communities Fund which is administered for Hills by Community First, the Rural Community Council for Wiltshire. The funds will be used by Westbury Community Project to undertake repairs to the buildings that will be used as a much needed hub for a number of community groups in the area.”