It has come as no surprise to me that Wiltshire Council is facing a backlash from young people, in over cuts to the county’s youth service. They were right to walk out of last week’s Cabinet meeting angry that the council took no notice of them after going out to consultation over the future of the service.
However, it should come as little surprise. It seems to me that council goes out to consultation just to say they have ticked all the boxes before the axe falls.
It’s all very well saying that the service can be run by volunteers. I’m sure it can. There are loads of good people out there. But what happens when those volunteers can’t or even won’t help out?
And at the end of the day, why should they? The parents of these young people pay their council tax, so they should expect something in return.
The time has come, to say enough is enough, not only to the cuts to the youth service, but to all the other services the council are failing to deliver. After all, the council tax never seems to go down to compensate.
Yours,
Terry Chivers
Independent Wiltshire councillor