£153k Investment in New Kempsey IT & Youth Hub

A major £153,227 investment in facilities for young people and the wider community is now underway in Kempsey, with construction starting on the new IT & Youth Hub at Plovers Rise.

Kempsey Parish Council has confirmed that work has officially begun on the new modular building, which is expected to provide a modern and accessible space for gaming events, digital skills and community learning.

Part of the car park and a section of the playing field have now been temporarily fenced off while construction takes place. The existing Youth Centre remains accessible throughout the works.

The new Hub is currently expected to be completed in late October.

Council documents show that Anmer Construction Ltd was approved in May to design, build and install the new facility at a total cost of £153,227.

Importantly for Kempsey residents, the Parish Council’s May update states that the project is fully funded through Malvern Hills District Council’s Community Legacy Grant funding.

That represents a significant injection of external funding into facilities in the village and follows other investment taking place at Plovers Rise.

The IT & Youth Hub project itself has been developing for some time.

In November 2025, Parish Council documents referred to proposals for a “Youth IT Hub cabin”.

By February 2026, the proposal was being described as a “new small building adjacent to the Youth Centre”, with quotations being considered.

The project then appears to have changed direction in March.

A Parish Council meeting summary from 9 March recorded that constructing a new building was considered “not financially viable” based on the quotations received at that stage.

Councillors instead agreed to investigate an extension to the existing Youth Centre to create a self-contained meeting room.

However, the project subsequently moved forward again.

By April, council documents were referring to progressing construction of the IT & Youth Hub, and in May Anmer Construction Ltd was approved to design, build and install the new facility for £153,227.

With construction now underway, it would be interesting to understand what changed between the March assessment and the final scheme approved in May, including whether changes to the design, specification or available grant funding helped make the new building possible.

There are also details about the finished Hub that residents will hopefully learn more about as the project progresses.

We have not yet been able to identify publicly available designs or visualisations showing exactly what the completed building will look like or its internal layout.

There is also the planning position.

A search of Malvern Hills District Council’s public planning records has not identified a conventional planning application specifically for the new IT & Youth Hub building.

Earlier Parish Council documents indicate that confirmation had been sought over whether the project could proceed under permitted development rights.

This does not mean that the development requires a conventional planning application, but clarification on the route being used would help residents understand how the project has progressed.

It will also be interesting to learn more about how the Hub will operate once its doors open.

The Parish Council says the facility will support gaming events, digital skills and community learning, but further details about opening hours, activities, equipment and who will be able to use the Hub have yet to be announced.

There is also the longer-term picture, including how the facility will be staffed or supervised and what its ongoing annual running and maintenance costs will be.

For Kempsey, however, the construction represents a substantial investment in community infrastructure and particularly in facilities aimed at young people.

A £153,227 grant-funded building has the potential to provide the village with a dedicated facility for technology, learning and youth activities for many years to come.

As construction progresses towards the expected late-October completion, we hope more information will be made available about the design, facilities, activities and future operation of the Hub so residents can see exactly what this significant investment will deliver for Kempsey.