Calls for community groups to save a Morley community centre

Hopes for Leeds City Council to give a year-long reprieve on a community centre earmarked for closure next year were dismissed by a committee of councillors this week.
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As part of plans to help fill an estimated £118m black hole in Leeds City Council’s finances for next year, the authority is consulting on whether to shut down a number of community centres, including the Lewisham Park Centre in Clough Street, Morley.

Speaking at a meeting of Leeds City Council’s Communities Scrutiny Board, Coun Robert Finnigan (Morley Borough Independents) told members that closure should be delayed for a year to give community groups the time to draw up a plan to take over the running of the facility.

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He said: “We all know that next year’s budget is the most challenging we are ever likely to face – and that’s saying something for those of us who have endured the budgeting crisis over the past decade.

The Lewisham Centre in Morley.The Lewisham Centre in Morley.
The Lewisham Centre in Morley.

“We all need to do more with less, but doing nothing is not an option. Difficult decisions need to be made, but we also understand, regardless of where we stand on the political spectrum, that we need to do all we can.”

He went on to say the rates bill for the building is more than £4,000 a year, and that installing a water meter in the building would make significant savings.

“The groups who use it are the same groups most affected by the Coronavirus pandemic – the young, the old and the disabled,” Coun Finnigan said.

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“Its closure would batter these sections of our community most, and everyone will agree it has already taken a battering.”

As part of a proposal, presented on behalf of all five Morley Borough Independent councillors, Coun Finnigan suggested community groups should be allowed to take over the running of the facility, and that it be removed from the closure list for 12 months for a plan to be drawn up.

A paper, agreed by Leeds City Council’s Executive Board last month, claimed the closures of three community centres could save the authority around £200,000. It listed: “(A) proposal to carry out stakeholder consultation on closure of three community centres: Lewisham Community Centre, Allerton Bywater Youth Centre and Windmill Youth Centre. Staff affected would be redeployed to vacancies elsewhere.”

Coun Dawn Collins (Con) questioned what good Coun Finnigan’s suggested measures do, adding: “If this proposal is going to consultation to be approved, what are you actually trying to achieve by calling it in? Is it just to highlight this so that the consultation has more of a response, or do you think it’s appropriate for the consultation not to have a consultation with the local community and to do it behind closed doors?”

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Coun Finnigan responded: “Once things go on lists, it’s difficult to get them off those lists. If you want to galvanise people to put that effort into running it when they think it’s a formality.

“If we were to accept this should be referred back for reconsideration – give it a year, if it fails, it’s finnigan’s failure.”

Coun Collins then asked: “But isn’t there a risk that if you get this taken off the list, that community will think ‘wahey, we’ve won – it’s staying there’?

“Psychologically it might be worse to take it off the list because people might think there is no threat.”

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Council officer Shahid Mahmood said the authority would be “more than happy” to discuss Morley Town Council becoming involved with an asset transfer – in which a community group takes over the running of council-owned buildings.

Leeds City Council deputy leader Coun Debra Coupar said: “Coun Finnigan makes some really relevant points about the community in Morley who could potentially use that centre.

“I’m pleased to hear that he’s rallying a charge in that area to make sure they try and keep that community centre. It’s not just words – it sounds like Coun Finnigan intends to utilise all his resources to ensure this community centre is saved.

“The point Coun Finnigan makes about consultation being a done deal – it is not a done deal. Elected members on the call use ‘consultation’ very politically – to act like it was a done deal, but they have saved it.

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“I hope you do manage to bring funds to help this centre remain open – Leeds City Council is facing its worst ever year in budgetary terms. We have a £118m gap to find, so I’m more than happy for any member of council to come to me with suggestions for what the alternative might well be.”

The board voted to continue with the consultation on whether to close the centre, with a decision likely to be made in Spring 2021.