A CHARITY is trying to defuse a row over its plans to build on land which residents demand should be used as green space.

 

Citylife, which works to help disadvantaged people, wants to knock down the old Howard Mallett building on St Matthew's Piece, Petersfield, Cambridge - and create a state-of-the-art innovation centre for young people and others trying to start up their own businesses.

 

But as the News has reported, residents' organisation the Petersfield Area Community Trust, PACT, has attacked the scheme, claiming the site was once open parkland and should be returned to that use.

 

In a bid to get people to back its plans, Citylife has organised a public exhibition showing what the new building will look like.

Martin Clark, Citylife programme research director, said the aim of the scheme was to provide a "launch pad" for social enterprises on a not-for-profit basis, and for start-up businesses run by young people or disadvantaged people.

 

He said: "It will also act as a central hub for advisory services, and will be a community facility too. There will be a café, meeting rooms, and a large rehearsal-style space local people can make use of."

 

The Howard Mallett building was put up in the 1960s as a youth club, but in the past seven years has been leased from owners Cambridgeshire County Council. It houses the Star 107 radio station, and until recently the live music venue Café Afrika.

 

A team from design company Start has come up with the plans for the £5 million building, which would be called the Cambridge Community Innovation Centre.

 

Jeremy Ashworth, from Start, said: "The new building will have a slightly smaller footprint than the existing Howard Mallett building, and there will still be a great deal of public space.

 

"I think when people look closely at what we're planning they will support it."

 

A planning application for the scheme has yet to be submitted.

 

Glenys Malyon of PACT, said: "The scheme is a worthy one, but people have a right to some green space too. We don't believe there should be a building there at all - all the land should be green space."

NEWS