Conservatives Protect Youth Provision for Priority Neighbourhoods and Learning Difficulties
The Weds 23rd September meeting of South Gloucestershire Council’s Children and Young People’s (CYP) Committee saw heated discussion of the youth service budget. Due to pressures from an ageing population and the failure of NHS integration projects to bring forward projected savings, the Council has been faced with having to find more savings.
The Conservatives, who are seeking to balance the Council’s books responsibly, whilst also protecting frontline services and the young, elderly and vulnerable, drew red lines on targeted youth provision, which holds sessions for young people across the authority, aimed at the priority neighbourhoods and those with learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD).
The committee voted to consult on options on whether or not to renew the Positive Activities Subsidy, which is funding that was set aside for 3 years for years 13/14 to 15/16 to help community groups get onto their feet financially. This money was allocated by the Area Forum committees and has been very well received and used by community groups.
The vote went through on a razor thin majority of 7 votes to 6, after Liberal Democrat and Labour members attempted to call the recommendation to consult up for consideration by full Council, and subsequently voted against going to consultation.
Speaking of the evening, Conservative Chair of the CYP Committee, Cllr Jon Hunt remarked:
“Some of the areas we thought we were able to make savings have not produced what we hoped. As such, the responsible thing to do is to review finances across the board and make sensible savings where appropriate. However, I wanted to set out the Conservative stall on the message that even in this climate we have no-go zones, and our targeted youth provision is certainly one of them.
The Positive Activities Subsidy has been a roaring success, helping many groups providing young people with exciting new opportunities to experience new things and grow as people. The project and the money allocated is now coming to an end and we need to decide where to go from here. I think the answer is to begin with going back to the public and consulting them, and I was very surprised that opposition Councillors voted against consulting the public. As a democracy we have a moral, political and legal duty to ensure that public opinion is taken into account when making decisions.
When we have consulted and worked up options going forward there will be more decisions to take and I am open to the final decision being taken at Full Council in the interests of democracy.”