‘It’s a breach of natural justice’ – councillors rebel against Morley community centre closure

As part of plans to help fill an estimated £118m black hole in Leeds City Council’s finances for next year, the authority is planning to shut down a number of community centres, including the Lewisham Park Centre in Clough Street.

Councillors for the area claim the amount of money the authority would save would be disproportionately small, adding other community centres in more affluent areas of the city were allowed to remain open.

Five of Morley’s six Leeds city councillors have now had the decision “called in” to the authority’s environment, housing and scrutiny board for later this week – members of which will decide whether or not they wish to further investigate the decision.

The request form read: “The decision we have concerns with relate to the proposed closure of the Lewisham Park Centre in Morley.

“The financial case presented for closure is flawed in as much as it was claimed staffing costs were over £21,000 a year. These costings related to the time Lewisham had a full-time caretaker at the centre which it has not had for many years.

“The proposed savings amount to around £13,000 without staff costs (which could be avoided by having a key holder process) and charges – such as over £4,000 for water costs can be easily reduced by introducing a water meter.

“The closure of this community centre will have a significant impact on the most deprived community in the Outer South area and there are no realistic alternatives to serve this community.

“This decision does contravene proportionality as the revenue savings are small compared to the significant impact this decision will have on residents, the young, the old, the disabled and families. It is a breach of equal opportunities as this community centre serves a deprived community – the most deprived community in the Outer South Community Committee area but other centres in more affluent areas in Ardsley and Robin Hood are not proposed for closure.

“It is a breach of natural justice as the poor and most deprived should not be paying the price for the economic challenge Leeds City Council faces.”

The form was signed by councillors Robert Finnigan, Andy Hutchison, Wyn Kidger, Judith Elliott and Robert Gettings.

A document on Leeds City Council’s proposed budget savings published earlier this month earmarked Lewisham Community Centre, Allerton Bywater Youth Centre, Windmill Youth Centre in Rothwell for closure, claiming the authority could save around £200,000 in total.

The Environment, Housing and Communities scrutiny board will meet on Wednesday, December 2 to discuss the call-in.