Is town centre ready for a youth club?

IS Warrington town centre the place to build a £6 million “world class” youth centre?
Members of the borough council’s executive board think so – and believe the concept to be “exciting”.
Fifty four per cent of young people consulted say their ideal youth provision would be located in the town centre and 76 per cent say they would use a town centre youth provision if one existed.
Many businesses and voluntary groups are also enthusiastic and want to be involved – apparently even to the extent of contributing to the running costs of up to £850,000-a-year.
So we find ourselves in a minority in having doubts.
Or do we?
If 54 per cent of young people believe the town centre to be the ideal location, presumably up to 46 per cent think otherwise. And their reasons are understandable.
They are worried about alcohol, drugs and anti-social behaviour.
No doubt their parents – particularly those who live in the outer areas of the borough – would have similar concerns.
We are all in favour of Warrington having a world-class youth facility but we would have thought the town centre, with its unfortunate reputation, was the last place it should be located.
It will be two or three years before the “Youth Zone” is likely to be built. Not long, we fear, to change the whole character of the town centre sufficiently to make it a suitable place for our young people up to 10pm.