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New build plan wins planning permission

Step by Step has now received planning permission from Rushmoor Borough Council for a brand-new four-storey youth development centre in Crimea Road, Aldershot that will provide accommodation and educational facilities for its clients.

The total cost of the building will be around £3.85 million and, now that planning permission has been received, Step by Step is now seeking funding of £2.85 million from government bodies and national organisations, including the Homes & Communities Agency, which invests in affordable housing developments, and Places of Change, which tackles homelessness by turning hostels into places of positive change offering accommodation and training opportunities. The balance will be found from community grants, with the £285,000 cost of refurbishing the centre collected through a fundraising campaign.

Amanda Dubarry, chief executive of Step by Step, said: "We had to wait until we had planning permission before making bids, so now we can go ahead with our main bids, and should have decisions by Christmas. We'll still need a fundraising campaign to find the rest of the money, though."

Sentinel Housing Association, which will construct the development, is supporting each bid by making a joint representation with Step by Step.

The aim of the new building is to integrate the services which currently operate out of five premises around Aldershot into one centre providing accommodation, presentation rooms, interview rooms, staff offices, and car and cycle parking. For the young people, a major benefit will be single study bedrooms, instead having to share bedrooms as they currently do.

At Rushmoor Council's development control committee last week, which received 53 letters of support from the community, councillors unanimously expressed their support for the project. Cllr Roland Dibbs described it as a very worthwhile project and Cllr Sue Dibbble said: "Not every young person in our community has the chance for a type of life we would choose for our own children. I fully support any scheme designed to help improve their life chances."

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