You must defend Marlborough’s youth centre and services from council cuts, councillors told

Some form of youth service in Marlborough must be retained despite Wiltshire Council’s decision to halve its £500,000 allocation for the county as part of drastic budget cuts forced on it by the government’s austerity measures.

Councillor Richard Allen made the demand at Monday’s meeting of Marlborough Town Council, when he revealed that “people are going about saying the youth development centre in Marlborough is targeted for closure.”

He was questioning Councillors Nick Fogg and Stewart Dobson, who represent Marlborough on the unitary authority, on the youth service budget cuts and demanded they “robustly oppose them on behalf of the young people of this town.”

Councillor Fogg replied that the budget reduction to £250,000 was obviously something nobody wanted, the more so as the youth centre in Marlborough provided an exceptional service.

But he added:  “I do think it necessary to examine and whole youth service, to see where money can be most effectively spent.  And I don’t think that has actually been done to any great degree.”

Councillor Dobson, a Conservative member of Tory-controlled Wiltshire Council, pointed out that most people were aware that the council had to make drastic savings following the continued loss of government funding.

Various options for the youth service were being considered, including reducing the number of hours youth centres were open and youth officers operated, and also putting the youth service out to a private contractor.

“I understand that the youth officers across the county have not yet been contacted on this and nothing has been decided yet,” he added.  “Perhaps it is an opportunity to make the youth service fit the bill more appropriately in the different areas.”

Councillor Allen insisted his colleagues defend youth services in Marlborough and the centre itself in St Margaret’s Mead.

“Even if it needs to be reorganised and the service re-examined as Councillor Fogg suggested, it is a valuable asset for the young people of Marlborough,” he declared.

And Councillor Fogg replied: “I couldn’t agree more.”