CAMPAIGNERS have vowed to fight for the future of a children's play centre which is under threat of closure -- as it was revealed that council tax in Burnley may rise more than expected in a bid to safeguard services.
Kibble Bank Community Centre, in Underley Street, is one of 11 council-run after-school clubs in Burnley that face closure after council bosses announced it had to save an annual £500,000.
Workers at the centre have now arranged a protest march to the Town Hall tomorrow to present the Mayor of Burnley, Councillor Rafique Malik, with a petition of more than 200 names.
Numerous petitions have been handed over to officials regarding the proposed closure of other popular venues such as the Burnley Mechanics and Gannow Baths.
But the council still has to cut annual spending costs by around £500,000, and now officials say they may have to increase council tax by more than they had hoped because of public protests.
Stuart Caddy, leader of the council, said they were under tremendous pressure from the Government.
He said: "Although the council will receive additional grant support from the Government next year, this does not fully reflect the additional statutory responsibilities that we will have to meet."
Mr Caddy said the council would continue to press for changes that more accurately reflect the cost of providing a good level of services for the people of Burnley.
The Kibble Bank centre is a base for 100 registered youngsters aged between five and 13 who turn up every Friday evening for the 'Busy Bee Club'.
Jane Titley, from Kibble Bank, has been a volunteer worker at the centre since it opened in July 1997 and said they had already been forced to cut back on two play leaders because of the cost
She said: "We only have one leader left now. There will be nothing for the kids left to do if this closes. They will be back on the streets causing havoc and damage.
"The centre is somewhere for them to have fun. If children don't get to play they've never had a childhood. They love to skip when they come here but it's something you don't see any more these days. It's all computer games and things. They don't know how to sit down and play games with other children.
"I will be really sad if it does close because I look forward to listening to all the tales they tell me about things they've been doing. When your own kids have grown up you miss all that kind of stuff."
Jane said she was angry that the children were invited to the town hall last year where they met council bosses to discuss how they could improve the town.
Jane said: "It just seems as though the council are cutting back on the wrong things and contradicting themselves. They will end up paying for it in the end if they have to start putting more policemen on the streets when the kids start causing trouble."
Parents and children will leave Kibble Bank Community Centre at 12.45 tomorrowon Tuesday and will meet up with other centre staff at 2pm at the town hall. POSTER POWER: Youngsters (from left) Stephanie Paton, Jeanine Whittle, Thomas Traynor, David Llewellyn, Arron Gorton and Victoria Whittle prepare for the town hall protest march
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