ANGRY residents' association members claim their views on new community facilities were ignored by council bosses.

The committee of Hall i'th' Wood Residents' Association spoke out following the official opening of a new centre on their estate.

Association members have provided a range of facilities and activities for the past four years, including youth nights, a children's Saturday club, bingo and dominoes, cheap home-cooked meals and family trips.

And as part of their plans to expand activities they applied to use a flat next door to their existing centre.

But then the Community Education Service and Youth Services department announced they were taking over the flat to create a new community centre.

As reported in the BEN, the new centre will provide hands-on computer experience under the guidance of Community Education and Youth Service staff, and other training and education classes to meet the needs of local people.

A residents' association committee spokesman said: "We applied for the flat to extend and add to the facilities already provided by ourselves.

"Suddenly money became available from capital receipts at the council. From that moment on our association has been pushed out and Community Education and Youth Services took over.

"At the beginning we bought paint and paper costing £100. We offered to buy carpets but no one would listen to us. Our understanding was that they worked around what we were already doing and they would provide courses and training for the unemployed, of which we are more than pleased because this estate has been left out for too long.

"All the work done over the past few years has been done by a small number of people and we feel very strongly that we have been treated very badly by some departments."

Issues

Housing chairman Cllr Noel Spencer said: "I feel we have had a good working relationship with the people at Hall i'th' Wood and I am a little surprised they have not come to me about this rather than contacting the newspaper.

"However, if they do feel there are issues that need addressing they should contact me and I will be happy to look into them."

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