Saturday 1 December 2012

yet more community centers gone

'Betrayed' users of Ball Green Community Centre will 'never vote Labour again'Trusted article source iconSaturday, November 10, 2012Profile image for The SentinelThe SentinelRESIDENTS who are set to lose their battle to save a popular community centre have vowed never to vote Labour again.People who use Norton and Ball Green Community Centre say they feel ‘betrayed’ by Labour city councillors Andrew Lilley and Duncan Walker, who voted to close the facilities across Stoke-on-Trent.They say they are not to prepared to take on the running of the centre which is earmarked for closure on January 31.Greg Stockton, chairman of the centre’s committee, said: “I am totally devastated about leaving this place, as are all the people who use it.“It is a vital part of the community and I can’t believe our Labour councillors have betrayed us in this way.“I have voted Labour all my life, but never again.”Stoke-on-Trent City Council offered committees a community asset transfer to take over the responsibility of running the centres.Greg added: “We can’t afford to run it on our own but our offer of £5,000 to help with costs was ignored.”Norton Community Centre is used by around 600 people a week who attend pensioner groups and dance clubs. The twice weekly bingo night will now be held at the Norton Workingmen’s Club.Greg added: “We just wanted to take a small piece of the community centre with us. Other groups will have to arrange their own space.”Volunteer Dawn Sarapuk, aged 51, of Burnett Place, Norton, said: “We’re trying to make the best of a bad situation, but a lot of these people are elderly and disabled and can’t travel the extra distance.”Committee member June Burgess, aged 79, of Pinfold Avenue, Norton, said: “It’s like the council is trying to divide us. The committee has worked so hard to keep the centre going. We’re going to have to do our best to continue as a community.”Members of the Labour-controlled city council voted unanimously to reject a motion calling for the £162,000 hall subsidy cuts to be referred to a scrutiny committee for further debate last month. It followed the presentation of a petition signed by more than 3,100 residents demanding a rethink.Committee member Roy Wedgwood, aged 82, of Sneyd Green, said: “Democracy is taking into account the opinions of the people. Our council clearly doesn’t know the meaning of the word. There are plenty of us here who regularly voted Labour. I don’t think there are many, if any, who ever will again.”Residents have decided to donate any surplus money from the centre’s accounts and sale of assets – around £5,000 – to local charities.The council operates community halls in Tunstall, Packmoor, Norton and Ball Green, Goldenhill, Bentilee, Meir Park, Joiners Square, Smallthorne, Bradeley and Fenton. Halls in Birches Head and Smallthorne have already been closed down.Councillor Ruth Rosenau, cabinet member for regeneration, planning and transportation, said: “There is a community asset transfers policy and the council will support and assist groups where possible, to achieve this.“Any new community groups which have not registered an expression of interest can still approach the council to work on drafting a business plan for asset transfer.”yet this morning i have received a text saying smallthorne is to be kept open now is it the fact that this council has of loaded it onto the residents of smallthorne through a community asset transfer or is the council doing what it was elected into do and they are running what ever has  now being decide going by labours track record it will lead to it closing whether it be now or 1-2 years it will happen it will close and   now if its down to the residents association and the community to run it they have all the repairs to fund out for but when its the council and its so called good guys of councilors to look after these premises they were elected in to represent us and they are not doing this by any means which it is complete betrayal of all the people around here  but labour is the pulling the wool over people eyes and they are falling right into the trap lets see what the future brings because ill stress now ill be here in 5-10-15 years still digging away at this evil curupt labour council like the saying is what goes around comes around the worm will turn and when it does ill expose everything these so called good guys have done the day will come and all these vile lies all these curupt ways will be  brought out people will get to no the truth the proper truth not the lies that labour spew with there lapdogs ( hope not hate -uaf -norfscarf)  i will stress again the people of this area have brought and payed for this facility through means of the taxes they have payed in and the sole responsibility lies with the council to run them but oh no labour doing what they do best punishing the people of this city now  how much these labour councilors try to play the good guys they voted for the closer of these places in the budget all 33 of them VOTED now we only have to look at what they got planned next building a eye sore of a building in hanley forget about the people who work in stoke that doesn't matter perves and his goonified followers want it in hanley yet more jobs lost that's should tell people what all labour councilors stand for and what there agenda is  but lets see what the mandate for destruction brings next ill be watching with anticipation to see what labour and its mandate of destruction brings