THERE are celebrations on the Knoll estate in Hove now that it at last has a community centre to call its own.

Hard work by the council, the church and local people has resulted in the new centre at St Richard's in Egmont Road. The estate, which has about 500 houses, was built between the wars, so it has taken 70 years to provide a place where people can meet and enjoy themselves. There is an important lesson here for planners when new estates are being built. Community centres should be provided from the word go rather than tacked on years later. These days, new housing tends to be even farther from town centres than the Knoll estate. It is hard for communities to achieve much without the basis of buildings for their activities. In some cases, councils may be able to suggest new centres as a form of planning gain.

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