New ‘youth zone’ proposed in centre of Brighton

Onside has approached Brighton and Hove City Council to set up a “youth zone” in the centre of Brighton.

In other parts of the country Onside has worked with councils on empty sites, with councils investing in new facilities.

A report to members of the council’s Children, Young People and Skills Committee said that this would not be possible in Brighton and Hove.

The report said that the council did not own any vacant sites in the city centre and none looked likely to become available in the next 18 months.

It said that Brighton Youth Centre, in Edward Street, owned a suitable site close to central bus routes.

The youth centre’s management and board members supported going into partnership with Onside and the council to develop the youth zone.

The capital cost of setting up a youth zone would be £6.5 million with annual running costs of £800,000.

Onside has offered to pay half of the capital cost – or £3.25 million – and £600,000 a year towards running costs for the first three years.

This would mean the council spending £3.25 million on the start-up costs and £200,000 on running costs for the first three years.

After three years, the council would pay the full £800,000 a year running cost.

Some money could come from the government. The report to the Children, Young People and Skills Committee said that the government had announced a new £500 million Youth Investment Fund.

The aim was to provide 60 new youth centres across the country and to refurbish 360 existing ones. It also planned to provide 100 mobile youth centres for harder-to-reach areas.

The report said that a further £12 million was expected to be available to support youth projects.

Before the Onside proposal moves ahead, councillors are expected to approve a “youth review”, with officials seeking the views of young people.

The review would be expected to look at services provided by youth organisations receiving council grants, the future of buildings used for youth work and access to services for young people who are council tenants.

The report to the committee said that the council could work with Brighton Youth Centre – but without Onside – to provide a central “youth hub” which could prove cheaper in the short term.

Another possibility would be to have a network of youth centres across Brighton and Hove.

The report said: “Another alternative would be to continue to support and develop a network of youth centres across the city and apply for capital (funding) from the Youth Investment Fund to refurbish more than one building to ensure that young people can access youth services in their local area.

“There is also the option to do nothing (and for) Brighton Youth Centre to attempt to secure alternative funding for refurbishing their building.”

Until the future of youth services has been agreed, the council proposes continuing to fund the existing Youth Service Grants Programme for a further six months.

This would extend the current contracts from the start of October until the end of March next year, subject to councillors agreeing the funding in the council’s 2020-21 budget.

The Youth Services Grants Programme has an annual budget of £400,000, of which £250,000 comes from the council’s Housing Revenue Account.

Tenant representatives supported the use of housing funds for youth services at meetings of the council’s housing panels which are made up of councillors and tenant reps.

The largest sum goes to central Hove and Brighton, with Brighton Youth Centre and its partners the Tarner Community Project, the Youth Advice Centre and the Young People’s Centre receiving £99,000.

The Trust for Developing Communities receives £88,000 for work in Moulsecoomb and Patcham and £61,000 for work in Whitehawk and the Deans, including Woodingdean, Saltdean and Rottingdean.

The Hangleton and Knoll Project receives £79,000 for work in Hangleton, Portslade and West Hove.

The LGBT organisation Allsorts, the Black and Minority Ethnic Young People’s Project and disability group Extratime each receive £19,000 a year for their work with young people.

The council’s Children, Young People and Skills Committee is due to meet at Hove Town Hall on Monday (January 13).

The meeting is scheduled to start at 4pm and should be open to the public.