Plans have been revealed for a £332,000 makeover to Workington’s Moorclose Community Centre.

Tony Brown, interim manager at the Moorclose centre, said it will be transformed into a community hub with work starting early next year.

After three years of negotiations, the county council has transferred the old sixth form block to the Needham Drive centre.

Mr Brown said work to improve the teaching block, theatre, art block and caretaker’s bungalow on the site will cost £238,000.

Work to refurbish the sports hall is estimated to cost £94,000.

He said: “It marks a new chapter in the history of the community centre.

“We want to create a vibrant and sustainable community hub to provide a broad range of services and activities for all sections of the community.

“It’s a credit to our trustees. Without their commitment and unpaid work of secretary Gerald Humes this wouldn’t have been possible.”

The work is funded thanks to £201,000 gained from the sale of a four-acre parcel of land off Ashfield Road South.

The land belonged to the county council, which transferred it to the community centre. It was then sold to the Allerdale Investment Partnership, which wants to develop housing.

A further £50,000 is in the process of being released by Allerdale council.

The centre is hoping to raise the rest of the money from income generation.

In the new year, charity West House and Cumbria Youth Alliance are due to move into the former sixth form centre.

Mr Brown said: “I hope that we will retain our existing tenants and look forward to welcoming new ones in the coming months. There is much interest in the facilities on offer and planned developments.

“In 12 months this will be a completely different place and new volunteering opportunities will open at all levels. It’s a huge change and it’s quite exciting.”

Groups currently using the centre include Allerdale Disability Association, Parkinson’s art club, cubs and beavers groups, brownies and the Workington Town Boys’ and Girls’ Club.

The library, currently located in the main community centre block, is due to move to the sixth form building and a cafe is due to open too.

But councillor Stephen Stoddart, who represents the area on the district and town council, claimed there had been a lack of communication in the centre’s plans.

He said: “I’m an independent councillor and I haven’t been involved in this process and neither has my colleague Denis Robertson, who is also an independent councillor elected by people of Moorclose.

“We represent the people of this area and I want to make sure that there’s something for everyone at the community centre and that the children of Moorclose have a future there.”