Community hubs in Leicester fear for future amid consultation
Groups that use council-run community centres across Leicester have voiced their fears as a consultation into their future is under way.Leicester City Council, which currently operates 13 community centres and 16 libraries across the city, is asking for the public's views on a new "service model" operating from 12 multi-service centres and the Central Library.It comes as the authority is looking to reduce their budget by up to £2.1m over the next three years following "a decade and a half of central government cuts in funding".But the suggestion the centres could be transferred to community organisations to run has sparked concern among users.
Rupa Soni organises weekly social events for women at Rushey Mead Recreation Centre where members meet, talk and take part in activities to celebrate their Hindu faith. They are calling on the city council to retain control of the centre. Rupa says her group members are concerned they may be priced out of the centre if new owners take over and increase charges to rent out the rooms. She also does not know anyone who would be able to operate the centre successfully.Muktaben Makhwana, who regularly attends the socials, said: "I don't go anywhere, I'm alone."She said her son had died, and for her "there's no other place to go".
On the Mowmacre estate, residents have exactly the same concerns. Many are worried that the only nearby community building they have access to - the Tudor Centre - may suffer the same fate.Jane Barnes has run Stay and Play children activities for 32 years at the centre. Now working as a volunteer, she says: "If I couldn't do it, I don't know what I'd do. It's my life."Her concerns are backed by local Labour councillor Annette Byrne, who says there is unlikely to be anyone on the estate with the time, skills and resources needed to run Tudor Centre themselves."This is one of the poorest estates in Leicester. You've got liability insurance, gas, electric, water. "Who's going to take responsibility if anything goes wrong? No, we're not having that."
Consultation continues
The Tudor Centre and Rushey Mead Recreation Centre are two of the eleven council-run centres and libraries being considered for transfer to communities to run.Assistant city mayor for libraries and community centres, councillor Vi Dempster, does not deny the changes are about saving money.However, she says it "doesn't have to be a negative thing, if you do it the right way"."We are doing it in a way that is listening to and responding to people in this city," she said.She confirms no decisions have yet been made, adding she will participate in meetings at the venues affected where she will answer people's questions.Two community centres in Leicester have already been handed over to community groups to run including the Highfields Centre in 2010 and African-Caribbean Centre in 2023.The consultation on these latest proposals will finish on 29 June.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
5 days ago
- The Independent
Tennessee court upholds law from Republican legislators to cut blue Nashville's council in half
A Tennessee appeals court on Tuesday upheld the constitutionality of a law passed by the state's Republican-controlled legislature to punish the Democratic-leaning city of Nashville by slashing the size of its council. The 2023 law aims to cut Nashville's consolidated city-county governing council in half, from 40 members to 20. Although it was written to apply broadly statewide to both city and consolidated city-county governments, Nashville is the only Tennessee city meeting that definition with a council of more than 20 members. The law was one of several targeting Nashville after the council's rejection of efforts to host the 2024 Republican National Convention in Music City. The Tennessee Court of Appeals 2-1 ruling on Tuesday overturns an earlier split decision by a panel of judges at the trial court level that ruled in favor of the city. The law has been on hold pending appeals. Nashville attorneys argued that the law is unconstitutional because a provision of the Tennessee Constitution that limits local legislative bodies to 25 members explicitly exempts municipalities organized under a consolidated city-county government. The city also argued the law violates another section of the Tennessee Constitution known as the Home Rule Amendment that prevents the General Assembly from making laws that apply to a single county or municipality. In ruling against the city, the majority wrote that nothing in the Constitution explicitly prevents the General Assembly from 'imposing its own limit on the voting membership of a metropolitan council.' Given the fact that the judges must start from the assumption that state statutes are constitutional 'we cannot condone interpreting the Tennessee Constitution's silence such that the legislature's power is curtailed in this manner." In his dissent, Judge Kenny Armstrong argued his colleagues are misinterpreting the word 'exempt." 'While the Article contains no language to enjoin the General Assembly from limiting Metro's legislative body to any number over 25, the Article clearly precludes the General Assembly from limiting Metro's membership to any number less than 25,' he wrote. Armstrong did not address the Home Rule Amendment. The majority there found that even though Nashville is the only city that the law actually effects, it was written as a law of general application. Nashville has been mostly successful in challenging some of the other state laws taking aim at the city, although many of the cases are still in appeals. In one, a judicial panel ruled the state cannot enforce a law making it easier to pass changes through the metro council to the local fairgrounds speedway, which is being considered for upgrades in hopes of drawing a NASCAR race. A court panel likewise ruled it was unconstitutional for Tennessee lawmakers to pass a state takeover of Nashville International Airport's board. Judges also temporarily blocked a law that would reconfigure the group overseeing professional sports facilities in Nashville by letting state leaders pick six of its 13 board members. Republcan House Majority Leader William Lamberth issued a statement on Tuesday praising the court's ruling on the size of Nashville's council. 'I applaud the court's decision today affirming the constitutionality of the Small Government Efficiency Act. This action reins in excessive government growth while ensuring local municipalities across the Volunteer State remain accountable and responsive to their constituents," he wrote. Nashville Vice Mayor Angie E. Henderson said in a statement that the decision fails to respect the will of Nashville voters, who created a 'highly representative, local legislative branch.' Henderson said they will discuss next steps with the city's attorneys.
BBC News
5 days ago
- BBC News
Major change to 'the knowledge' for Bristol taxi drivers
Most Bristol taxi drivers will no longer have to learn by heart the thousands of routes around the city. At a meeting of the city council's public safety and protection committee on Tuesday councillors unanimously approved changes to part of the test known as "the knowledge". The changes - which apply only to private hire drivers, not Hackney cabs - means the requirement to memorise the city's geography will be scrapped in favour of a new approach. Councillor Sarah Classick, who chairs the committee, said it was "not about making the test easier to pass", but rather bringing it more in line with more modern guidance. "Because all journeys are pre-booked a lot of drivers now rely on things like sat navs," she said. "As such the sections where they have to have that memory of where every pub, club and restaurant is in Bristol is a bit outdated, and seems to be a bit of a barrier to good drivers passing the knowledge test." It emerged at the end of May that "the knowledge" would be scrapped, but Ms Classick said other parts of the test such as those on road safety, legislation and policy and disability awareness would all remain in place. She also insisted that drivers would still be tested on their knowledge of Bristol - not confusing, for example, Greenbank Road in Southville with Greenbank in Easton - but said the test as it stood was a "barrier to good drivers passing". Though councillors have approved a new approach in principle there will not be any changes made immediately. Ms Classick said council officers would now be asked to look into examples of best practice from other cities that have already made a similar change, and any new elements of the test would need to be approved by the committee.
BBC News
6 days ago
- BBC News
Emergency repairs at Peterborough footbridge after railings theft
Emergency repairs have been carried out on a city footbridge after it was vandalised and safety railings were Highways said about 20m (65.6ft) of railings were stolen on Friday from the bridge over the A47 connecting Walton and Fullbridge Road in councillor Alex Rafiq called it "an unusual incident" which left the bridge exposed and could have been "extremely dangerous" for said authorities acted "swiftly" to ensure the bridge was secured with temporary metal barriers and traffic cones and it reopened on Monday. Rafiq, who represents Paston and Walton ward, said: "I was frantically calling the council and panicking when I found out about the bridge not being secure. "It was frightening to know the barriers were missing especially as a father of two young sons."I have now reassured residents that temporary barriers have been placed and traffic cones left along the barriers which glow up in the dark."Unfortunately a few cones have been knocked over and were thrown over the railings which we have put back now."The temporary fence is solid and secure so I do not want residents to have any concerns about crossing the bridge." A National Highways spokesperson said: "We are aware that around 20m of railings were stolen from a footbridge over the A47 on Friday."While we try and source replacements, we have installed a temporary solution to allow the bridge to reopen."The theft has also been reported as a crime to the police." Follow Peterborough news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.
