Lib Dems Call For Greater Clarity On Youth Service Proposals

12.00.00am GMT Thu 23rd Mar 2006

"The Conservatives need to do more for our young people" says County Councillor Diana Smith.

The Liberal Democrat Group on Surrey County Council has called for greater clarity from the Conservative-run Executive after the Council announced its proposed plans to close 18 youth centres county-wide were being "revised". The Lib Dems had been opposed to the closures ever since they were first proposed in the Business Delivery Review, designed to cut £50 million from the Council's budget. Together with voluntary and community groups, the Lib Dems have been urging the Council to rethink the proposals.

Diana Smith, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Schools and Communities, said the revised plans were still not clear about the final outcome for the centres, but did buy the service a little time, with a firm decision on the fate of the county's youth centres not being taken until the Autumn. "The strength of protests throughout the County should show the Conservatives they need to find both the will and the way to do more for our young people," she said. "We don't need panic cuts, just some joined-up thinking to put empty Youth Clubs and innovative ways of providing activities for young people together.

"The Youth Service is being asked to work more with targeted groups, while we're relying increasingly on voluntary and community organisations to provide mainstream activities for young people," continued Diana. "Our Youth Centres are closed far too much of the time, including at weekends and evenings, which is a clear waste of resources. At every meeting residents tell us we have to have more safe places for young people to meet and things for them to do."

The Youth Centres originally proposed for closure by the Council and now being 'revised' are in: Banstead; Bookham; Ashford; Frimley Green; Leacroft, Staines; Thameside, Staines; Sunbury; Yo-Yo, Epsom; Sheerwater and Maybury; Guildford - Stoughton and Bellfields; Byfleet; Haslemere; Merstham; Englefield Green and Chobham.