THE leader of Warrington Borough Council has clashed with one of the town’s Youth MPs over a plan for a “youth café” in the town centre.
MYP for Warrington South, Tom Jennings, (pictured) has accused the borough council of raising false hopes and telling “blatant lies” after being told the scheme is “stuck in the mud.”
But Cllr Ian Marks said: “Unfortunately Tom seems to have got many of his facts wrong. 
“He does himself a disservice when he accuses the council of a ‘stream of false hope and blatant lies.’
“There is no ‘false hope’ because we are committed to opening a youth café in the town centre and there are certainly no lies being told.”
Tom – who was at the centre of an earlier row after he broke protocol while speaking at a council meeting – said a campaign for a youth café originally started in 2008 when IMPACT (Warrington Youth Council) carried out surveys to find out what young people wanted.
But the council was more interested in developing a town centre youth provision which they called a “Youth Zone” which would cost £5-6 million, take a decade to build and relied entirely on private investment.
IMPACT did not want this but, rather, the smaller youth café which would provide young people with something in the town centre in the short term.
However, the council said both schemes would go ahead and eventually a building in Time Square was identified for the youth café. But IMPACT were eventually told the café, which was originally intended to be ready by Christmas, was “stuck in the mud.”
Tom said the completion date was put back to March and then to “later this year.” Now IMPACT had been told the building was to be demolished as part of town centre regeneration.
“After three years, we are now re-starting pretty much from scratch.”
“My personal view on this is that it’s just been a stream of false hope and blatant lies. There has never been any confirmation on financing.
“It seems the council was dying for private investment so they wouldn’t have to put a penny in and be responsible for it, which is why we’ve seen them extend the deadline three times.
Tom said the council had ignored young people’s concerns, slashed the Youth Opportunity Fund, slashed Childrens and Youth Service budgets and decimated the Connexions service.
“They have now failed on simply providing young people with somewhere to go…they really do owe us an apology.”
Cllr Marks said: “The council has always accepted that young people wanted a simple youth café in the town centre. This is what the surveys and consultation showed and we didn’t need any convincing.
“Some time ago we were approached by a group of businessmen who want to build in Warrington a “Youth Zone” like the highly acclaimed ‘Lads and Girls Club’ in Bolton. They successfully raised substantial sums of money from the private sector there and they have always been confident they could raise money in Warrington too – and the scheme would not take a decade to build.
“We always knew it would take a few years to get a major project off the ground so our plan is to open a youth café as soon as possible, because that is what young people want. In parallel, planning, consultation and fund-raising would carry on for a possible larger project for the medium term.
“We are firmly committed to making this happen as soon as possible. A building in Time Square was identified. It was never going to be available by Christmas, but Tom is correct in saying that we had hoped it would be available in March.
” Unfortunately we have found there are major electrical and plumbing issues associated with the building that we were not aware of. It now looks as if the cost of making the building safe would be excessive.
“We knew that the lifetime of a youth café in this location would be limited to a few years because of the redevelopment of the Bridge Street area. However we believed that modest investment was well worth making because we could deliver a facility that would be valuable to young people while we considered the medium term options.
“We are urgently looking for an alternative building. We are continuing to consult so people knows what is going on..
“Tom has had a go at the council for making savings in the budgets for young people. These are regrettable but we have always made it clear that no section of society is immune from cutbacks.”
Youth MP in council row
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
11 Comments
Cllr Marks seems to be a ‘pro’ at saying one thing in meetings, and then the complete opposite in the press…
When he stated his views on the young people’s protest, he stated that my information leaflets were “just plain wrong.” And yet in a later meeting, told me personally that actually all of the information in my leaflet, was correct……………
But unfortunately it seems that again I’ve got many of my facts wrong…????
…The facts are clear; Cllr Marks on numerous occasions promisingly said to us “it will happen” but they never gave us confirmation of financing, they never told us who were being involved and even IMPACT members were saying they don’t even feel involved anymore………
Furthermore, Cllr Marks even came to the building with IMPACT and we spent ages talking with him about how great its going to be and how young people are going to love it. And yet it was always decided that the building was to be demolished but they only thought to tell us a week ago………
Throughout this year, Councillors and Officers were saying in the media “we’ve got private sector investment” but then told us in our meetings “there is none at all”, and then said in the press that “its gathering momentum and progress” but then told IMPACT in our meetings “its stuck in the mud.”……………
The Youth Cafe was originally to be finished by Christmas last year, then moved to March 2011, to now being “later this year”. However, David McNeilage (Tory candidate) stated in the Warrington Guardian that “The Youth Cafe is set to be open in a few weeks”. ………………….
Now who is really lying?
….At the end of the day, all I’m doing is just trying to get the truth published.
I feel let down, IMPACT feels let down, and other young people who were involved in this project feel let down. But they would rather brand me a liar than just apologise to them…………….
What makes me feel sick, is that the Lib-Dems have even talked about the Youth Cafe in their propaganda leaflets for this coming election. Promising its being built at the Times Square location and that they’re listening to young people………
Blatant lies and false hope.
Sadly Tom, this is how they work. A lot of talk and ideas but nothing to back it up.
It’s ok to save money, but NOT if it is going to cost more in the long term.
Seems like you are finding out the hard way, Tom – there is a massive difference between saying, believing and doing !
Rather than sit back for 3 years and wait for something to be gifted to them, if all these young people who are so keen to have a “Youth Cafe” in the town centre had stuck their hands in their own pockets or organised funraising activities then they’d have what they want by now.
Scouts, Guides, Boys Brigade, Youth Bands – all have to find ways to fund their own premises and activities. Why should this bunch be any different?
One thing young Tom should be told is that you don’t call people liars in print. It can get you into trouble. I don’t think anyone has been lying but I do think some people may have said things believing them to be true when in fact they were not.
If Tom thinks IMPACT would be told the sources of finance, etc., at an early stage in the process, he clearly knows nothing about local or national government, business, politics, or anything else. If he didn’t know that the whole of Time Square was to be demolished then he should have because it has been public knowledge for a long time. My advice to him, if he has political aspirations, would be to finish his studies, got a proper job, keep it for at least 10 years and then go into politics. He is in danger of becoming a career politician and there are too many of them around (of all parties) already.
Tom – get a grip and act like the adult I’m sure you are!!!
Emanon, as someone professing to have such a wealth of knowledge and experience you should know that calling people liars in print can only get you ‘into trouble’ if it isn’t true. What could really get one ‘into trouble’ would be to try to make a case for libel when in fact the statements were true! as this would provide a VERY PUBLIC platform upon which the lies and liars would be exposed! You obviously do know enough about local / national government and politics to know that it is quite common practice for politicians to say things professing to ‘believe’ them to be true when in fact they are not. You seem to have about the same level of business acumen as Cllr Marks who after all this time, effort (and possibly money?) has only just become aware that the building is not fit for purpose. As for your (so called) advice to Tom, I disagree. I think that if Tom is planning to go into politics it would be better that he did this as soon as he has finished his studies……whilst he is still young and uncorrupted by disillusionment, apathy, self interest and cynicism. It seems to me that there are too many spineless, party-line toeing sycophants in politics at present to make any positive ‘people-centred’ progress. I think Tom’s forthright honesty and genuine sense of justice is a refreshing change.
hard up, you really are ‘hard up’ for something to say! comments /tactics like yours could hardly be termed ‘adult’ …..more like ‘play ground’ stuff!
I think people should cut him some slack. how many of us at his age felt passionately about a project to find that plain talking and honesty didn’t happen.
I question the comments about whether or not the council were lying. define it.
When you are young, the world is black and white.
IF they are told something and then renege on it, isn’t that lying?
As for the comment about them getting the money together, perhaps if they had been given that advice instead of “promises” they might have.
At the end of the day, you have a group of people trying to “do the job of the council” and then getting let down from a great height.
The council are very good at raising people’s hopes and then pulling the rug out from underneath them.
Just sometimes, it has to be said how it is, otherwise these councillors will play this game for ever. Keep it up Tom.
“As for the comment about them getting the money together, perhaps if they had been given that advice instead of “promises” they might have.” They shouldn’t really need telling that stuff needs paying for, and that in a recession if you want something badly enough you find a way to pay for it yourself. Typical of the “I WANT, AND I WANT IT NOW” generation to sit back and expect someone else to just give them everything for free.
what sha said !!!! and to add to this, (using cllr marks usual way of twisting) Tom didn’t call anyone a liar he “accused the council of telling blatant lies.” a liar is someone who persistently tells untruths, where as telling lies may refer to a unique incident. I know for a fact that members of the council have told blatant lies so therefore his words are well founded.