Volunteers handed three-month hall deadline
COMMUNITY halls face certain closure in three months if volunteers cannot prove they can run the facilities on their own.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council last night slapped a January 31 deadline on the hall's management committees.
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ACTION: From, left, Sylvia Davis, Mary Davis, Mick Salih, Greg Stockton and Ann Salih outside Stoke Town Hall. Picture: Mark Scott
They now face a scramble to submit business proposals for formal asset transfers – or lose the facilities for good.
Members of the controlling Labour group unanimously rejected a motion calling for the £162,000 hall subsidy cuts to be referred to a scrutiny committee for further debate.
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It followed the presentation of a petition signed by more than 3,100 residents demanding a rethink.
Labour councillors Andy Lilley and Duncan Walker, who broke ranks to sign the petition in their efforts to save Norton community hall, requested three months' leeway after acknowledging they had 'lost their fight.'
Councillor Ruth Rosenau, cabinet member for regeneration, said: "Let's be clear, a move to scrutiny will serve no purpose other than to delay this matter for those groups who are willing to take on their community centres.
"We will support community asset transfers, where this is possible, but inevitably there will be some closures."
Labour leaders accused opposition City Independents and Conservatives of scoring political points.
They pointed out the decision was made as part of the 2012/13 budget-setting in February, and that the idea of transferring the halls was agreed six years ago.
Members also argued transfers will allow groups to sustain facilities by bidding for funding as charitable bodies to safeguard them from reduced council budgets.
But they faced a barrage of criticism from opposition members and several outbursts from residents in the public gallery.
City Independent Randolph Conteh said: "All I'm asking for is that councillors with an interest can sit down and debate this with petitioners and officers. They want to have their say."
Opposition leader Dave Conway accused the council of neglecting pensioners who depend on the halls for social activity.
Conservative leader Abi Brown added: "When there is this much passion in the chamber, we need to look at it again."
Community hall committees are willing to raise funds to reduce council subsidies.
But they are reluctant to take on legal responsibility for hefty long-term maintenance bills and paid staff.
Smallthorne Community Hall member Neil Hawkins spoke on behalf of petitioners. He said: "To lose centres that offer such a wide range of benefits, a sense of community and health and social activities, seems to go against all the aspirations that leaders of our city should hold so dear."
Comments
by mole10
Monday, October 22 2012, 2:46PM
“It comes to something when the Tories, who are accused of cutting funds to Stoke, are the one's wishing to save community facilities, and Labour, who tell us they are forced to shut facilities, vote to close them.
One of these is lying to us.
This is simple. Labour is lying and Labour wants community facilities closed and Labour is voting to shut them.
A liar is without principle and the electorate should demand principle in return for support at the ballot box.
Labour must not be given a vote anywhere.”
by Nicky_Davis_
Monday, October 22 2012, 1:37PM
“"I've reported on this council meeting: http://tinyurl.com/9bnftxu and on a previous meeting when Cllr Brereton raised this issue http://tinyurl.com/6lromja
and was given the following closure timetable http://tinyurl.com/9z629vu"”
by mscowbag
Sunday, October 21 2012, 4:35PM
“Dear Sir.
Through your column I would like to express my disgust regarding the proposals regarding the Norton Community Centre I along with 200 plus residents attended an open meeting in September of this year to discuss the way forward and to show our opposition to any closure. On the stage were our three local Councillors Cllr. Duncan Walker, Cllr. Andrew Lilley and Councillor Jack Brereton. At this meeting they gave us assurances regarding the centre in fact they went as far as saying THIS HALL WILL NOT CLOSE and will continue being run in the same manner. On leaving the meeting I said to my friend they have just told us what we want to hear they will not support us when the going gets tough and low and behold I read in the sentinel that the two Labour Councillors Walker and Lilley voted against the petition no surprises there then. Don't these people get it there is nothing else for the community in Norton and the volunteers work extremely hard and have done for many years without a problem, remember the saying IF IT AINT BROKE DON'T FIX IT, well we know what will happen now, volunteers don't just appear they work hard for many years for no profit well if and when we lose the volunteers from our community centre there can only be one loser that will be whole of the community but this council don't care a jot all they care about is turning up at the Civic agreeing with what their leaders say and picking up their pay packets never mind us the community. I know what they are thinking it is a long way to the next local elections well let me remind them our memories are longer. And by the way don't forget there is an election in November for the police commissioners job well let's all say stuff you and not vote for the candidate who has voted against the petition.
Joy Heath
Norton”
by Tunstall2011
Saturday, October 20 2012, 2:05PM
“Is this the same Mick Salih who as a councillor in 2006 was the instigator of the council loan to Port Vale which has ended up losing £1.4 million of taxpayers money? How many community centres could this have paid for? God help us if he ever gets elected to the council again.”