COUNCILLORS are looking to ensure that the Kings Arms Community Hub in the heart of Wellington becomes an integral part of local life.

Wellington Town Council’s community committee met on Monday (October 20) where they were discussing budgets for the 2026/27 financial year.

The KACH in the High Street has only recently opened and has already become the base for a number of community groups and service providers, but it is difficult for the council’s number-crunchers to come up with definitive costs for the year ahead while looking into a crystal ball.

But what became the key message from the ensuing discussion among councillors was that the KACH is all about the community first and foremost and then look at the pounds, shillings and pence later - albeit within reason – in order to subsidise the facility.

A report submitted by the council’s community development officer, Laura Batcha, suggested that income generated from the KACH in 2026/27 could amount to £15,500 while outgoings could amount to £76,714 – which would mean a deficit of £61,214. And that money would have to be found from somewhere else within the council’s coffers or added to the council tax bill.

Cllr Justin Cole said: “We are looking at about £60,000 a year to support the Kings Arms. Is the £15,000 income sufficient? Is a deficit of £60,000 too much? We need more detail.”

Ms Batcha told councillors that it was unlikely the KACH would “ever break even.”

The Mayor, Cllr Janet Lloyd, said: “We don’t know what is going to happen in the future so we might lose out a bit until we have got into our stride with things.

“We might have to jettison something out of the budget to help us to keep the hub going. We’ve just set up the hub and we can’t pull the plug now.”

Cllr Cole responded: “I’m not suggesting in the slightest that we pull the plug on this. But we do need to have some understanding on how much revenue we could make although I’m not looking at this as a commercial venture.”

Staffing costs of the hub were discussed and amounted to nearly £40,000.

But council chief executive and town clerk, Dave Farrow, said: “If you take out the staff I don’t think we’d be able to do what we want to do at the hub.”

Cllr Mark Lithgow said: “When we first started looking at this project it was never envisaged that we were going to make money from it.”

Cllr Andrew Govier added: “We’d look foolish to have such a fanfare for the hub when it first opened to now be looking to undermine it.”

Councillors agreed to ask the council’s policy and finance committee to budget accordingly for the hub in the 2026-27 financial year.

Cllr Mike McGuffie warned there was still a cost of living crisis going on and had to be mindful of how much of the subsidy needed to support the KACH would be met by council taxpayers through the council tax.