Labour’s call to keep all six of Westminster’s recently opened community hubs running was rejected at Wednesday’s Full Council meeting, Westminster Extra reports.
The council is looking at moving some hub services into libraries. Cllr Robert Rigby, Cabinet Member for Civic Pride, told the meeting he had asked two questions: what exactly the hubs are, and how much they cost. Getting a clear answer to the first had been “incredibly difficult”, he said.
“What is the true cost of these Labour hubs? The cost sits in the region of £11.7 million, that is not minuscule,” Cllr Rigby said. “This question of cost is more critical than ever given the financial crisis. Because of the £100 million funding cut from the Labour government, it cannot be business as usual. Difficult and uncomfortable decisions must be made. We are proud to support the hubs, but we will do so sustainably.”
Cllr Lorraine Dean added: “Politics is about making wise choices. While we have amazing provision we should not be duplicating these. We should be using all our energies and money on services that residents really do use.”
Watch Lorraine explain why: Community hubs: spending on what residents really need
The hubs offer Citizens Advice sessions, food banks, health checks, and activities for families, young people and older residents. Labour councillors argued that closing them would hit the poorest residents. The Conservative administration says that, after the Labour government’s cuts, it must focus spending on the services residents use most.
Read the full article in Westminster Extra: To close hubs is to “target the poorest”
