COUNCIL chiefs have sealed the deal which will see St John's Wood Community Centre close.

In March the Guardian reported that the centre was lined up to be included in the school site before the school was transferred to the Crewe-based Adelaide Academy Trust.

The trust has taken over the school and relaunched it but still needed permission from the council to lease the neighbouring community centre as well.

Former Cheshire East Cllr Peter Raynes told the Guardian only two groups used the centre.

A report, published before the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and Assets meeting held on Monday, September 21, said: "The proposal will generate significant savings in the cost of securing additional Special Educational Needs places and will facilitate the local provision of those additional places.

"The proposal will relieve the council of the ongoing maintenance and management liability of the community centre premises which have hitherto been under used by community users."

The meeting wanted to confirm the community centre to be included as part of the site of the St Johns Wood Special School within the academy lease to the Adelaide Academy Trust upon the conversion of the school to academy status.

It added the lease would be for 125 years at a peppercorn rent – understood to be £1.

Minutes from the meeting said: "The building has now ceased to be used as a community centre and it was, therefore, proposed to be leased to the Adelaide Academy Trust as part of the academy lease.

"A scheme of works, funded by the council (Children’s & Families) had been completed within the former community centre to facilitate the provision of additional Special Educational Needs places at the school.

"The Local Authority was obliged to fund the provision of a certain number of Special Educational Needs places and these were currently provided out of the borough.

"Such provision was desirable in terms of locality and it was also cost effective.

"Further works were to be undertaken within the Sports Barn facility at the school site to enable the Sports Barn be made available for out of school hours community use after completion of the academy lease."