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Council evicts youth club
Walsall Council has slapped an eviction order on a long established and popular youth club. The Green Rivers Community Association is being kicked out of its Green Rock Lane base after more than 25 years. The Council wishes to transfer the small amount of land occupied by the youth club to make way for the £4.8 million Stan Ball Centre for the over 50s.
Earlier in the week, Walsall Council scrapped the proposed £2.8 million new base for Green Rivers which was to be built on Green Rock Lane. Leader of the Council, Mike Bird said: “This is a very complicated situation but at the end of the day what we want to do is create much improved facilities not only for the over 50s in the Stan Ball Centre, but also for children and young people using the Green Rivers facility.
“We are making a huge effort to bring off both schemes, but we do need the co-operation of Green Rivers to do so. I appreciate there has been disappointment that we couldn`t realistically continue with the original proposals for Green Rivers but we do want to work with them to improve community facilities in the area.
“This is a real opportunity to make a real difference to local people of all ages in what is one of our most deprived areas in Walsall. I sincerely hope that we can all come together in a true spirit of partnership.”
“Co-operation” in this case, means that Green Rivers should vacate and the “real difference” for children and young people is that they will no longer have a youth club to attend.
Caroline Crolley, spokeswoman for Green Rivers said: “Only an idiot would sign away their lease without a new home to go to and without any guarantees. I think this is disgraceful.”
9 year old Corey Hammond said: “We asked for a new building because we only have an old cabin and there is not enough room for what we all want to do. It was going to be great.”
It is not clear if Councillor Bird has explained to Corey and her friends exactly why they are being evicted and why they have nowhere to go.