SAVE Woolston Hub campaigners have vowed to battle on after staging another peaceful, but highly visible and vocal, demonstration outside Warrington Borough Council’s offices ahead of the latest Cabinet meeting.
During the meeting, the following public question was put to the Cabinet:
Supporters of the Hub were informed when the public consultation closed in January that the results would be published in early spring. An email from a senior director at Warrington Borough Council, dated 27 January, stated that the options would include a variation of full re-opening, partial re-opening and full closure.
Now, well into the summer, the consultation results have still not been published. However, the Council has confirmed by email that it “does not currently have the capital funds available to conduct the necessary repairs to bring the Hub back into safe use.” This is consistent with the Leader of the Council’s statement at last month’s Cabinet meeting that external investment would be required to fund repairs, ongoing maintenance and annual operating costs.
This raises an obvious question: were there ever really three options, or were there only ever two—full closure or handing the Hub over to another organisation willing to pay for it?
The question concluded by asking whether the Council could confirm that the only realistic future for Woolston Neighbourhood Hub was for it to pass out of Council control, with another organisation taking responsibility for repairs, maintenance and day-to-day operation, or whether the Council had an alternative solution.
The Council’s response
The Deputy Leader (Communities, Culture and Leisure) Cllr. Jean Flaherty, replied that the consultation results would be published on the Council’s website during the week. However, following external advice, the completed consultation would now be regarded as a “pre-consultation”, with a further programme of public engagement sessions forming the formal consultation.
In response a save Woolston Hub spokesperson said: “After spending hundreds of pounds, thousands of volunteer hours, collecting more than 3,500 consultation responses, sending hundreds of emails, organising demonstrations, giving television and radio interviews, providing personal testimonies and submitting public questions, being told that all of this was merely a pre-consultation feels like a slap in the face. The dedication shown by local residents, volunteers and supporters deserves far better.”
A supplementary question was then asked:
Would the Council be willing to lease the Hub to a community company with a strong business plan that could fully utilise the building, support the local community and, for the first time in its history, operate it in a way that covers its own repairs, maintenance and running costs?
The Deputy Leader’s response was encouraging. In essence, the answer was yes—provided that the business case is robust.
The spokesperson added: “We will keep fighting. We are deeply disappointed by the Council’s handling of this process.
“Our campaign is far from over. We will continue to work tirelessly to secure a future for Woolston Neighbourhood Hub that keeps this valuable community asset serving local people for generations to come. The campaign continues.”
