Plans by a West Lothian Church to run a village community centre have been put on hold after councillors raised doubts about public access to the building.
Uphall Councillor Tony Boyle told a meeting of the Asset Transfer Committee that the Community Council had already had to find an alternative venue for their meetings.
And he told the meeting the feeling within the community was the proposal amounted to a “land grab”.
Council officers have recommended a Community Asset Transfer of Uphall Community Centre to a new trust formed as a joint team of the former management committee and the King’s Church West Lothian, an evangelical church.
No representatives of either group turned up at a meeting of the Asset Transfer Committee in Livingston to promote their plan.
That absence prompted surprise and comment from across the political spectrum of a Conservative, Labour and SNP councillors.
Conservative Alison Adamson asked:” Is there any reason why there’s no representatives of Uphall community centre or the King’s Church here today?
“Normally with these types of applications we have the applicant to speak up about what they’re asking for. Were they aware they could make representations in person?
Martin Thomson, a Business Growth Adviser with the council said the applicants “were very much aware” they could attend but had decided not to.
He added: “We have had recurring monthly meetings with them and officers have been satisfied. The applicant did have the opportunity but decided not to.”
An officer report to the committee said the offer from the joint trust: “is considered to represent the best available option for the use of this property. There are considered to be no reasonable grounds for refusing that request.
“The committee is therefore recommended to approve the community asset transfer request submitted …for the Uphall Community Centre subject to the conditions.”
Councillor Tony Boyle proposed delaying a decision until questions on the future running of the community centre, which had been initially posed by fellow ward member, the SNPs Tony Carlin, could be answered.
Councillor Carlin had questioned some of the proposed figures about projected income at the centre and future employment plans.
Councillor Boyle pointed out that there were local fears that some in the community could lose access to the hall in Strathbrock Place.
He told the meeting that the local community council had already had to secure another venue for its meetings. “The community council were told there was no space for them at the centre,” he told the meeting.
Councillor Boyle said that people at a public meeting to discuss the future of the building did not realise what the potential changes would mean.
He added: “What I am getting from the community is that they think this is a land grab”.
Cllr Carlin said: “I echo what Tony is saying, and I’m also disappointed there’s no representation from the applicant because some of the questions I have asked have been deflected because there’s no representation here.”
He expressed doubts about the business plan adding: “The margins are so tight, a £104 surplus in the first year? You could sneeze and lose that.”
Chairing the meeting, Labour councillor Craig Meek said he would move the recommendation to allow the asset transfer to proceed, as per the officer recommendation, but this won no support from fellow councillors.
After a short adjournment Councillor Boyle proposed a delay to request more information, and the hope the applicants could attend a further meeting.
The King’s Church has been asked for a comment.
By Stuart Sommerville, Local Democracy Reporter
