Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

Community centres to close during holidays

Anger as eight facilities reduce to term-time opening

- Judith Tonner

Several Monklands community centres are to reduce to term- time opening only as a Culture NL cost-saving measure.

The eight affected facilities are Airdrie centres Calderbank, Caldercrui­x, Glenmavis and Rochsoles; Coatbridge centres Calder, at Carnbroe, New Townhead and Old Monkland community wing; plus Salsburgh community centre.

Users will now be offered alternativ­e premises for the 14 weeks per year in which the centres will be closed, with the new policy due to begin on June 29, at the start of the school summer holidays.

The Monklands centres are among 26 facilities affected across North Lanarkshir­e, as the local authority arm’s-length organisati­on makes the move to save £400,000.

Politician­s Neil Gray and Alex Neil called the holiday closure plan “outrageous” – saying it could adversely impact longrunnin­g groups and that the alternativ­e facilities on offer are not convenient for the affected communitie­s.

They noted that Salsburgh groups are being offered the use of centres in Chapelhall and Petersburn, while the Glenmavis alternativ­es are in Whinhall or Airdrie town centre, and queried the availabili­ty of suitable public transport.

Mr Gray MP said: “Areas like Salsburgh and Calderbank desperatel­y need a village centre that offers groups and clubs for all ages. The repercussi­ons of this move will be felt for many years to come.

“For many folk, going to groups and events in their local community centre can be the only interactio­n they have with other people for days on end.

“Do the powers- that- be not realise the damage that this move will do to already struggling villages?

“Yet again, a North Lanarkshir­e Council organisati­on is following a short-sighted, quick-fix route to saving money.

“Alex Neil and I are looking to meet with Culture NL as soon as possible to stress the need for this move to be reversed.”

Mr Neil MSP agreed: “The council needs to get its act together. It must withdraw these crazy and damaging proposals and keep the level of community services which people need and deserve.

“North Lanarkshir­e Council spends well over £2 million a year on big salaries to its top 18 officials but butchers local services for vulnerable communitie­s.”

Culture NL say the changes follow a usage review and allows the organisati­on to maintain provision of services including libraries and community centres.

Jillian Ferrie, its chief executive, said: “In order to make best use of facilities, and to save over £400,000, we have carried out a review of the use of community facilities.

“As a result, 26 will now operate during school term- time only. However, we will still have a further 42 sites that will either operate 52 weeks of the year or as per the existing bookings.

“We have written to all groups affected asking them for their preferred alternativ­e location appropriat­e to their requiremen­ts.

“This change allows us to protect highly valued services such as libraries, community centres and vital frontline services.”

 ??  ?? Popular facility A packed Calderbank community centre
Popular facility A packed Calderbank community centre

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