A LONGSTANDING charity has said it was forced to hear that the county council wouldn't reconsider axing its lease from an MP.
Citizens Advice Basingstoke, which was founded in 1961 and runs from the Basingstoke Discovery Centre, announced in April that it was looking for new premises after Hampshire County Council terminated its lease in January.
In a statement, the chair of the charity, Tony Curtis, pleaded with the council to reconsider the termination of the lease and work towards a solution to allow the charity to stay in the building.
READ MORE: Citizens Advice forced to look for new home as lease axed by council to save money
In response, the council said it had 'offered assistance with finding and moving into alternative premises' and was 'exploring options' to keep the charity in its current home.
However, Mr Curtis said that the charity had not received a response after contacting the leader of the council, Cllr Nick Adams-King, on April 19 to work to find a 'mutually acceptable solution'.
He added that he was instead left to find out about decisions made through a letter sent by the leader of the council to Basingstoke MP Luke Murphy.
Mr Curtis explained: "I understand, from a letter sent by Councillor Adams-King to Luke Murphy MP, that HCC is not prepared to let us stay in the Discovery Centre, which has been our home for over 30 years.
"It seems that the seriously detrimental impact on our charity and our clients is being set aside in favour of the short-term operational needs of the county council."
The chair of the charity explained in the letter sent to HCC that accessibility is a key consideration as 45 per cent of clients receiving their help have a disability or long-term health condition.
A number of residents utilising the services of the charity also rely on public transport to reach the Discovery Centre as they don't own a car, Mr Curtis explained.
As part of cost-cutting proposals, HCC says staff currently based at Dame Mary Fagan House, in Chineham, will be relocated to the Discovery Centre.
Jean Smith, who relies on support from Citizens Advice said she would be 'lost without them' adding: "We need them to stay in the library, so that they are there for us when we need help."
Cllr Nick Adams-King told the Gazette that he wrote to the charity to explain that while they 'recognise the important role the organisation undertakes' the office space at the Discovery Centre is required for relocation.
SEE ALSO: LETTER: Citizens Advice Bureau should stay in town centre
He added that the sale will 'deliver vital savings in the context of our very challenging financial position'.
The councillor continued: "The relocation will also bring essential services and County Council teams further into the town centre, enabling us to work even more closely and effectively with the communities we serve.
"Citizens Advice have known since January that we needed the accommodation, and we have offered them significant support in finding alternative, suitable premises alongside exploring ways they could continue delivering some of their activity from the Basingstoke Discovery Centre.
"Although we have yet to find a mutually agreeable solution, we remain open to working with them to find an alternative accommodation."
