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Subsidising youth clubs
• THE dilemma we council tenants have faced, year after year, is that youth leaders come to local housing panels, cap in hand, begging for support, only after first being turned away by Islington Council (MP slams ‘madness’ of tenants’ dilemma as clubs face the chop, December 28).
Annually, we have given in to the council’s blackmail, handing over tens of thousands of pounds because we identify strongly with the youth services that work among us, none of us wanting to see them go under in the short term while the council is being reminded of its responsibilities in the longer term.
But we have done so each year with the proviso that housing officers tell the council, once again, that it must definitely be the very last time we do so.
There can be no reason, logic or natural justice to be found in robbing what is by definition and government intention one of the poorest sectors of our community to fund the youth groups that are open to all. Indeed, since the passing of the Local Government and Housing Act 1989, housing revenue accounts are supposed to have been ringfenced. Consequently, it may well be that the subsidising of youth services out of rents all these years has been illegal.
Should we take the matter to the District Auditor or Audit Commission and get our money reimbursed?
Surely services open to all should be paid for through council or general taxation.
Why should tenants and leaseholders find that the estate security budget only stretches to the smaller schemes because resources have been haemorrhaged to bail out the council?
Surely, our elected councillors should be choosing between youth work and prestigious revamps of roundabouts and it should not be left to council housing residents to choose between youth work and the safety of their homes.
What kind of a council presides over a situation whereby tenants can readily be pictured as callously failing essential services while the very next article can proclaim the election year “pledge on council tax”?
The truth is that tenants are going without the entry-door systems they need to keep out druggies, so that some Liberal Democrats can get a few lines of ephemeral propaganda.
CHRIS GRAHAM
Tenant rep, Holland Walk Area Housing Panel
Tollington Park, N4
• MORE than six months ago tenants told the council they wanted youth clubs to continue but could not fund them from estate security budgets any longer, because they wanted to spend the security money on lighting and stopping graffiti.
This gave the Lib Dems more than enough time to find the small amount of money needed to guarantee the survival of the youth clubs but they chose not to.
Since then the Lib Dems have been involved in a spin operation to try to blame tenants for closing the youth clubs.
When Labour councillors put a motion to the last council meeting asking for the future of the youth clubs to be guaranteed all Lib Dem councillors, including those for the affected areas, voted against this and instead chose to criticise the tenants concerned instead.
No amount of weasel words from the Liberal Democrats can get around the fact that they could have guaranteed the future of these vital facilities for our young people, but have chosen not to. Given recent events, it is clear we need more facilities for young people. It is a great pity the Lib Dems cannot guarantee the future of some of the ones we have got.
CLLR RIACHARD WATTS
Labour, Tollington ward
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