Staffordshire County Council is looking for a not-for-profit organisation to take over the running of Stone youth centre – and Stone Town Council has expressed an interest.
The youth centre in Stone – along with others across the county – is set to close at the end of this year after a county council review into youth service provision. However, it is looking for not-for-profit organisations to run a number of the centres, including Stone. More information about the tendering process for this HERE. The closing date for expressions of interest is 12pm on Friday 7th November.
Stone Town Council Conservative leader Philip Jones told the Staffordshire Newsletter this week (you can see the full article HERE) that the town council had made an official bid to take over the running of Stone youth centre as a community facility.
However, this was refuted by Les Trigg, the town council’s clerk, this morning. He issued this press release:
“Articles have appeared this week on the Staffordshire Newsletter Website and in the Sentinel referring to Stone Town Council’s position with regard to the Stone Youth Centre. The correct position is set out below.
“The issue of the future of the Centre has been raised a number of times within Town Council meetings, and the Town Clerk has had some discussions with County Council staff, but the Town Council has been unable to make any progress to date due to the lack of availability of information from the County Council prior to the conclusion of their internal staff consultation process.
“The Town Council was informed on 29 October 2014 that the County Council would be undertaking a form of tendering process for the future operation of the centre. If the Town Council wished to receive the documentation which would allow it to consider an application to run the Centre it needed to register its interest by 31 October 2014. This was done by the Town Clerk on behalf of the Council and the documentation has now been received.
“At the earliest opportunity, an item will be presented to the Town Council’s General Purposes Committee to set out the current position, and ask the Council whether it wishes to prepare an application to operate the Centre.”
So the town council may well be putting in an official bid – but just not yet. And independent town councillor Jill Hood says the town council may not be able to afford to take over the running of the youth centre anyway, and that Philip Jones is raising false hopes.
She said: “His fellow councillors on the Conservative county council tell us that only 25% of young people use the youth clubs so they must close but he is willing to use Stone residents’ taxes to support what they describe as a failing service. We need this service for our young people in Stone but it is grossly unfair that Councillor Jones is using it as a political toy for the forthcoming May election. What will happen when he does his maths and realises Stone Town council cant afford to run it? He’s giving false hope and making false statements.”
6 comments
Alex Lewney
As well as those mentioned there is already a private hire agreement with a local business which I know they would wish to continue, a mix of private letting and charitable considerations for the youth and other community services should make this building sustainable, a meeting of users at the centre could provide practical support and some actual commitments. Grounds keeping for example, and cleaning services?
Peter Calvert
For the TC to take a refurbished building in exchange for the Frank Jordan seems eminently sensible and it must be possible to find a way of covering running costs. It also accommodates the 4 to 14 Out of School club that supports both the Christchurch schools. If the TC don’t apply the £100K to this what will it be used for as it seems refunding it would trigger the referendum provision ?
Philip Jones
Dear Jamie
Stone Youth Centre is too important to the dozens of young people who use it; to the schools who use the playing field and to the mums with children at first school who rely on its after-school club (and they have written to me) to lose. That’s why I am working hard to keep it for Stone and that’s why the great majority of Town Councillors have supported and encouraged my efforts. The process is not a simple one and I can understand why some may confuse the necessary formal notice to bid with the bid itself and the business case that must support it but my intention is clear – to keep the Youth Centre for Stone.
Best wishes
Philip Jones
County Councillor
alex
a week is no where near long enough to put a proposal together! Also they won’t tell us if there are other serious bids in, so I do t know if or how to go about this or if it’s necassary! There’s no reason this premises should operate at a loss, the council could easily run the premises and make money to reinvest in it (so no profit)
I’m sorry I couldn’t make today’s meeting, I had to work, but as the deadline for proposal is tomorrow i doubt there’d be time to table anything thought through!
HCouncillor Harry Brunt
Dear Jamie,
I put this idea forward as a member’s item on 3rd July, 2014 as an overall project to give up the Jordan Centre which is losing money, requires considerable up grading and Stone’s Town Council’s contract with the Stafford Borough Council is at a closure point next January. so now is the time to do it. Applying to the County Council to take over the Stone Youth Service Facility as they have been asking other partners to do, transferring the tenants of the Jordan Centre there at no cost to themselves for the change over. Retaining a Youth Service there and paying for the whole project from the £100,000 (if necessary) that the Council has in reserves from the earlier failed project. Councils should use their precept monies for community projects not to accrue interest as we are not a private company. With some negotiations this project would be sound and sustainable. Some ‘starter units’ or ‘pop up shops’ etc could also be started there so it could easily pay for itself and more with both existing tenants, new tenants, and the youth service kept there as earlier promised. Remember Schools and other groups also use the Centre, the field and the Games Barn for their sports days etc .so that is another reason to support this action. ‘Pop up Shops’ or ‘Small Business’ would benefit from the railway passengers as well as local trade. I would like to hear other peoples’ views on what they think.
Regards,
Councillor Harry Brunt.