News and Updates

News and updates from PACG here in order of most recent. Deadline for WCC to submit purchase bid is late Spring 2021.

April 2021

• Press release 15/04/2

PACG PR 150421 v2Download

• Updated PACG ideas and vision presentation

PACG April 2021 Ideas and visionDownload

March 2021 

• Wells City Council has appointed members to the council’s Portway Annexe Committee who will develop the strategy and purpose for the Portway Annexe building, they will also discuss the role of the Portway Annexe Community Group and local residents. We look forward to being invited to share our research and to support their efforts.
• We shared a potential solution for the future-use of the building informed by local research and our discussions with local organisations and community members.
• The PACG is also developing its own Core Purpose, Objectives and Governance and will share once finalised
• On the 4th of March 2021 The Wells City Council voted to purchase the Portway Annexe subject to a survey, contract etc.Details of that meeting can be found here:
  https://www.wells.gov.uk/uploads/documents/Minutes_2021/Extra_CityCouncil_Minutes_2021_03_04.pdf

January 2021 

• First meeting of Wells City Council newly formed Acquisitions Working Group to discuss property strategy and next steps of the council’s Portway Annexe purchase bid

December 2020 

• The PACG emailed the Acquisitions Working Group to express our support for their important role in supporting the community, we asked for more understanding of the WCC strategy, whether they would ‘hold’ the Community Needs, Space and Service Provisions Analysis as set-out in our proposal and we suggested to kick start the join community consultation in-line with the 8 step programme (also in our proposal) as soon as possible

• The PACG drafted a proposal for the buildings future use incorporating ideas and suggestions from the community survey, and presented this to Wells City Council full meeting on December 17th. At the same meeting WCC formed voted to form an ‘Acquisitions Working Group’ that will take a strategic view of the WCC assets (inc. the Portway Annexe)

• WCC invited PACG to partner for joint-community consultation early in 2021

• Asset of Community Value status awarded.

November 2020 

• WCC voted to proceed with purchasing the Portway Annexe from Somerset County Council

October 2020 

• The PACG coordinated a community survey and received over 200 responses that support Wells City Council’s bid to purchase the building and for it to be registered as an Asset of Community Value