Concern grows over Murray Hall youth services

FEARS have been raised about the youth facilities provided at Loughton's Murray Hall after it saw its staff numbers fall to just one permanent member from an original five.

Large sums of money were spent on the Borders Lane building just two years ago providing large office spaces, consulting rooms and an internet cafe.

Now a number of district councillors have voiced their concerns that the building is not offering best value for money with its youth service, which is run by Essex County Council.

Speaking at a meeting of the District Council's Overview and Scrutiny Committee councillor Ken Angold-Stevens said: "It came to my notice that the services provided only 18 months ago have been severely depleted in the last few months.

"Five full time members of staff have now been reduced to one member although supported by quite a few part time members "We are aware that the county are re-organising youth services significantly but it's a very wide ranging remit very different to how they've worked in the past. We don't quite know how its going to pan out in our district."

[Liberal Democrat] Councillor Ann Haigh said: "I think this is all very sad. When the suggestion was that the county would work with Loughton Council to provide facilities and would stop providing services in Nazeing, Theydon Bois and Buckhurst Hill we were reassured this would be a state of the art youth centre "Over time that has diluted. Our young people have been severely disadvantaged. A lot of things have gone very wrong. It would be very useful to have some answers."

A spokesman for Essex County Council said : "The youth team formerly based at Loughton Centre for Young People will now be working from Brays House in Harlow and the Loughton Centre is now home to one full time team leader as well as a number of seasonal youth workers.

"Although the local structure has changed, there has been no change in the local youth provision, with the same level of service, clubs and activities being offered from Loughton Youth Centre as well as from Way 2000 in Waltham Abbey and Limes Farm Youth Centre in Chigwell. Our new, multi disciplinary teams will allow for better communication and service delivery that will benefit young people and their families across Essex."

The district council's scrutiny committee have asked for the opportunity to quiz county council officers over youth provision at the hall.