Council says that young people will be involved design of new facilities
Protesters outside the Town Hall in 2021. Picture: Young Ealing Foundation
April 20, 2023
Ealing Council has set aside £2.8 million for the refurbishment of a youth centre in Southall that had earlier been threatened with demolition.
The council had previously announced its intention to close the Young Adult Centre (YAC) on Park View Road and redevelop the site for housing, a move which resisted by the Ealing Young Champions part of the Young Ealing Foundation. Representatives of the group addressed a council meeting in October 2021, after holding a protest outside the Town Hall beforehand, urging councillors to ditch plans to demolish the centre. Over 1,500 people signed a petition against the closure leading the council to announce last October that it would not be proceeding with plans to close the centre.
A report, approved at a cabinet meeting this Wednesday (19 April), reveals that £2.8 million is now being set aside to renovate the YAC.
The document states that although the redevelopment of the centre was incorporated into the borough’s 2022-2025 Youth Plan, further consultation with young people and the community resulted in a reconsideration and now the YAC “would be renovated to provide services that children, young people and the community want, underpinned by a sustainable finance model.”
Kari protesting against the closure of the centre
The report also published a list of changed being proposed to the building and said that the views of young people will be taken into account in the final design.
Young Ealing Foundation said on Twitter, “We are absolutely delighted that, as a result of our Ealing Young Champion's campaign to #SaveTheYAC, the Young Adult Centre is going to be given a new lease of life.
“Youth centres are vital safe spaces for young people and must be protected at all costs.”
The Liberal Democrat opposition welcomed the decision which it had also campaigned for. Liberal Democrat Councillor Connie Hersch, Opposition Spokesperson on Policing & Communities said, “The Liberal Democrats support the refreshed focus on refitting the building rather than demolishing it. We have campaigned on sustaining community assets and the Young Adult Centre in Southall is a cherished key community facility.”
The council now hopes to publish a schedule for the works by the summer.
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