Campaigners Believe Plans For Alton Centre 'Questionable & Vague'
Council states that they are nearing 'deal to continue family services'
A local campaign group is refusing to accept Wandsworth Council's claims that the new arrangement for services at the Alton Activity Centre will meet with the approval of local residents.
The new measures were discussed at the meeting of the Education and Children's Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee meeting on 11 February.
Approximately fifty campaigners from the Roehampton area (adults and children) took a bus hired by the WAC to attend the meeting and lend support to the campaign's two person deputation. Before the meeting started the group held a noisy protest outside the Town Hall, with plenty of placards, singing and chanting.
The Council has told this web site that they are "close to securing agreements with local groups to run a range of family friendly services at Roehampton’s Alton Activity Centre", whereas a spokesperson for the Wandsworth Anti-austerity Campaign (WAC) has told us that "it became very clear that the Council's plans for after Spurgeon's contract ends is very lacking, questionable and vague. Considering this has been on the cards for some time, the Council can make no concrete assurances as to its future".
The Council states that detailed discussions are taking place with a view to community groups providing low-cost after-school and holiday play activities for local children as well as not-for-profit arts initiatives.
In addition, the Council is also exploring the possibility of basing some public healthcare and NHS health visitor services at the building in Ellisfield Drive, as well as some parenting and employment support services. Discussions are underway with a view to offering local community groups the building for a minimum of two years at a peppercorn rent.
The council’s children’s services spokesman Cllr Kathy Tracey said, “We expect to be able to make a formal announcement on these new arrangements very shortly and are confident it will meet with the approval of families living on the Alton estate and in other parts of Roehampton.
“Once the existing contract at the centre comes to an end, the aim is that the new services will commence very quickly so that local people are able to enjoy a wealth of family and child-friendly community services, augmented by healthcare and parenting and employment support services.
“We believe this will be warmly welcomed by parents in area. We know how much they value the services provided at the Alton centre and our intention is to continue delivering services in the current building for the next two years and afterwards in bright, new modern community facilities that will be provided as part of the estate’s regeneration.”
The WAC spokesperson said, "Wandsworth Anti-austerity Campaign demand that the centre continues to provide the vital services that it has supplied so well to this day. We ask that Spurgeon's contract be extended (assuming that the Council don't want to start running it themselves again). This is a vital centre to save, but unfortunately it's not an isolated case. They bulldozed Battersea Park Adventure Playground in 2013, they say because they couldn't afford to staff it. They've handed over control of the youth centres to the charity 4 Children, who are running them dirt-cheaply. Also, Battersea Sports Centre is due to close soon, because, they say, to make way for affordable homes."
The Council remains adamant that the long term aim is for this part of Roehampton to benefit from significant regeneration, including the provision of modern new community facilities as part of that wider regeneration programme.
February 13, 2016