Council will keep youth centres open (From Bury Times)

Council will keep youth centres open

7:50am Saturday 21st November 2009

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FIVE youth centres are set to be saved after councillors re-considered a plan to cut back on their services.

In February, the Bury Times revealed Bury Council was considering handing youth clubs over to voluntary groups and — if they were not able to run them — close them down.

The centres are the New Kershaw Centre and Elton Youth Centre in Bury, the Radcliffe Y-Zone, the Shuttle Centre in Whitefield, and the Phoenix Centre in Prestwich.

A council report said the idea was to “externalise the youth service” to save £200,000 a year.

A senior council source said 48 jobs would be axed if the plan got the green light and services would be cut if volunteers could not run them.

The proposals prompted a backlash from centre visitors, including a 150-strong protest outside Bury Town Hall.

Bury Council leader, Cllr Bob Bibby, formed a review group, which has concluded handing over centres to the voluntary sector was not viable and would not save money.

In a report, the council’s improvement adviser, Amy Svensson, said: “There are a limited number of organisations capable of providing the required universal service.

“Experience — from a comparison in Cumbria — highlighted that it was unlikely to be a significantly lower cost option. The review group also considered the high satisfaction levels of current users with the existing service.”

The group said even a partial handover could cost more than if the council ran it, as happens now.

Of keeping things the same, Ms Svensson added: “The service manager is confident that a budget saving of £200,000 per annum can be achieved. However, a staffing restructure would be required.”

The council’s Executive will rule on the issue on December 3.

Cllr Bibby said: “It is clear from the report that moving the service fully or partially is not going to happen. We have found a way forward that will please the majority of people. It may be possible to combine the Connexions advice service with our youth service so we can save the money and keep everything else as it is.

“There is a lot to talk about and we will have to see what happens when it comes to Executive.”

But Labour leader, Cllr Mike Connolly, said: “This is the first time the Connexions aspect has been put on the table.

“Connexions and the youth service are very different. Merging elements of them will not provide the best outcome for young people. They want things as they are.”

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