DESPITE initially refusing to financially support a fight to keep a former school as a community project, members of Abergavenny Town Council say the project has their moral backing.

Several months ago the Town Council was asked to help fund the Park Street School enterprise project but refused because of the "financial risk" of taking a £1million mortgage.

However, since then the local group has been successful in securing last minute support from Monmouthshire County Council, which agreed, in the first instance, to temporarily withdraw the site from auction, with a possible option to transfer the site for the project.

This gives Abergavenny Community Centre Ltd, a group of local people who have long campaigned to maintain this site as a community amenity, a real chance to seek Lottery funding to establish a dream of a thriving and sustainable community hub with a difference.

The group has already obtained outline planning consent for change of use of the site, and now that Monmouthshire County Council has withdrawn the site from immediate auction, they feel confident to apply through the Big Lottery Community Asset Transfer Fund for help.

The project would benefit Abergavenny and the surrounding area, by encouraging small social enterprises to meet the real needs of local residents and at the same time engender social and community networks at a local level.

The project is already supported by other community groups anxious to find a home for their enterprise.

Possible group activities would include a crèche and nursery with a drop in café, art and educational workshops, support for young people and for parents, consumer advice and space for classes for dance, and other physical activity and skills.

At a meeting of Abergavenny Town Council on Wednesday evening Councillor Douglas Edwards told fellow councillors, "Progress has been made rapidly. Marion Pearse has looked for grants available and made the necessary contact and found there's a fund where schemes like this can apply to the Welsh Assembly.

"She made the application and went through the first stage successfully and is about to make the final bid again in June.

"The big change is the support we're getting from MCC. We went to see the leader Councillor Peter Fox, just as they were about to auction off the premises and he made a quick decision to withdraw the property out of the auction to allow us to make a bid sometime in the future.

"We believe that this partnership is the way forward to sustain quality of community life in the county. Let's be frank, Abergavenny has not got a community centre."

Councillor Pearse said, "The only thing I can add is that on June 13 we're having a public event in the car park of the former school with stalls for people to find out what it's all about."

Councillor Roger Harris said, "At first we were petrified at the thought of having to fund £1million. It was just not feasible.

"Now if it is possible it would be good for the community - and not at a great cost," he said.

"I did have concerns when we were asked to take out a mortgage but as we're not committing to any financial aid, we're just saying it's something Abergavenny needs and we support it," said Councillor James George.

Members voted to support the project.