Bearsden Community Hub, the new home for Council, library, leisure and cultural services in the town, was officially opened by Council Leader Rhondda Geekie on Tuesday 7 March following a £3M investment by the Council.
Located in the heart of Bearsden on Drymen Road, it brings a wide range of services under one roof including Council Tax, benefits, registration, licensing, housing, general Council enquiries, library services, leisure services, arts and events.
The fantastic new facility also contains meeting rooms and social work facilities, new public toilets and an entire upgrade of the current accommodation. The on-site customer services team will make it easier for residents to access and get information about a variety of different Council services and make payments for them in just one visit.
Commenting on the opening Council Leader Rhondda Geekie said, “I am pleased to see this new building now open and ready for all the community to use and benefit from. We have delivered a modern, functional and vibrant facility for the people of Bearsden and the surrounding area.
“We are bringing together Council, library, leisure and cultural services - as well as social work facilities - in an exciting and innovative way, and making it easier for residents to access information and a wide range of services in one central location. The improved hall facilities also provide opportunities for a broad range of community activities to take place.
“The completion of this Community Hub is not the only development we are seeing here in Bearsden. The £2.73M transformation of Kilmardinny House, due to open this spring, will allow us to continue supporting the diverse range of arts, culture and leisure services the house is renowned for, while making it even more popular as a venue for events, weddings and conferences. Together these facilities are part of our wider commitment to the development of this area.”
Councillor Anne Jarvis, Chair of the East Dunbartonshire Leisure & Culture Trust said, “These fantastic new facilities reflect the commitment of the Trust and the Council in promoting library, leisure and cultural services in Bearsden and the surrounding areas.
“The library will offer a new children’s area, public WiFi, laptops for learning, a meeting pod for learning activities, archive access and quiet study as well as a host of new services. I would urge everyone to come along and see for themselves just what has been created here."
Hub West Scotland, the Council's development partner, managed the design and construction of the project using their supply chain partners Anderson, Bell & Christie Architects, who also designed the Council’s Community Hub in Lennoxtown, and main contractor CCG.
Iain Marley, CEO at hub West Scotland, said, "The refurbishment of the existing building has been truly transformational and we are thrilled that our partnership with East Dunbartonshire Council has delivered another successful project, delivered on time and within budget to an exceptional standard of quality."
The new facility was built by Glasgow-based construction specialists, CCG. Calum Murray, Director of CCG, said, “The Bearsden Community Hub was a challenging project given the significance of the building to the local community and the construction itself. However, I think I am not alone in saying that the building looks stunning, particularly the new façade which has created a new sense of arrival and completely transformed the area.
“Our site team has done exceptionally well in not only delivering the project to the highest quality standard, but they managed to do so within a net period of just 46 weeks. We hope that the community of Bearsden enjoy the new facility for many years to come.”
Customer Services will be open 9am to 6pm on Monday to Thursday and 9am until 5pm every Friday.
Library Services will be available from 10am to 8pm on Monday to Thursday and 10am to 5pm on Friday and Saturday.
For more information please visit www.eastdunbarton.gov.uk for Council services or www.edlc.co.uk for library, leisure and cultural services. Residents can also call 0300 123 4510 or email customerservices@eastdunbarton.gov.uk
A range of Council and Trust services will be provided in the Hub, including:
- Payment kiosk - accepting cash and card payments for all Council services
- Answering enquiries about Council Tax, benefits, housing and more
- Accepting and validating application forms, including taxis, civic licences, education and more
- Blue badge applications (including lodging of application and payment, taking photos and assessing for automatic grant of badge)
- Registration of births and deaths
- IT facilities to support employability activities
- Social Work services
- A brand new community library
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