Community Centre highlight struggles following breakdown of heating system
Staff at Knockmitten Community Centre have detailed the struggles they have faced over the past year following the breakdown and subsequent failure to repair its heating system.
In April 2025, the Community Centre’s heating system broke down and staff members have continuously sought a contractor to carry out repairs ever since.
The first agreed payment between SDCC and the contractor was made in September 2025 and work commenced in the Centre in October.
In November, the second agreed payment was made as requested by invoice prior to its due date.
According to staff at the Community Centre, the contractor did not return to fix the heating regardless of the payments that were made.
Due to the adverse weather conditions and minus temperatures in January 2026, staff agreed to close the centre to the public but made exceptions that would allow the contractor to access the building to complete repairs.
Invoices and phone records held by staff members show that this arrangement was successful for three days, before a member was informed that there would not be an electrician on site the following day and a plumber was necessary for further repairs.
Management then checked if a contractor would attend the centre at the end of the week and was told no and staff members have expressed the lack of communication between the contractor, SDCC and the Community Centre.
The Centre agreed to provide a contractor with keys and an alarm code to facilitate access without a staff member present, but staff have reported the absence of a contractor since.
In May, management were informed that work would commence in seven-days-time. This work has yet to be completed and they have now been told that the contractor will return in a few weeks’ time, but a date has not been set.
Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme
