October 2023

18
Wanstead Village Directory
CENTRE of ATTENTION
The Leader of Redbridge Council, Councillor Jas Athwal, explains the
decision to convert Wanstead Youth Centre into an education and
youth hub, and why it must temporarily close in order to do so
With its bustling High Street,
outstanding schools, green spaces
and fantastic transport links to
central London, Wanstead is one of the best
places in London to call home.
Our council has shared plans to invest
significantly in Wanstead Youth Centre, using
ring-fenced education funding to create
a new education and youth hub on the
site. Our proposals will secure a better and
brighter future for the centre, generations of
local children and young people, and local
community groups.
As it stands, the centre needs significant
structural work to bring it up to an acceptable
standard, and as a council, we need to make
sure we’re spending taxpayers’ money wisely;
that’s why it’s vital we provide a fit-for-purpose
facility accessible to the community that
operates on a sound financial footing. The
proposals for the centre include co-locating
education services, a tuition centre, an Early
Years Play and Development Centre and
providing new youth services. There will be
refurbished space for community use and our
hope is the centre will become an education
and youth hub. There is a widely held
misconception that the current youth centre
provides council-run services for children and
young people. The truth is there haven’t been
any youth services commissioned through the
centre since 2016. Instead, the centre serves as
a venue for hire for local businesses. Following
our proposed investment, council services
would once again operate out of the centre,
alongside a hireable community space.
Redbridge is one of the lowest-funded
boroughs in London, having lost around
63% of our government funding since 2010,
which has forced us to make huge savings of
£236m. Despite these challenges, we continue
delivering vital services and investing in what
matters most to our neighbours, which is why
we’re proposing to renovate the centre and
house additional council services in the space.
Unfortunately, leaving the centre as it is
isn’t an option. Last year, a building survey
laid bare the considerable structural work
required to bring the facility up to modern
standards. The centre needs investment,
and by co-locating education services in the
space, we can access additional ring-fenced
education funding and provide new facilities.
To move forward with our proposals, the site
must temporarily close. Vision RCL are already
working with businesses and groups currently
hiring space to help them relocate.
We’ve listened to local people who shared
how important the centre is and found a
solution which keeps the venue open in
the long term while providing additional
services. In the future, there will be plenty of
opportunities for people to give feedback on
the proposals and share ideas on how the new
facility can best serve Wanstead.
To contact Councillor Jas Athwal, email
jas.athwal@redbridge.gov.uk
To advertise, call 020 8819 6645 or visit wnstd.com