Wolverhampton Conservative councillors are calling for a council-owned building in Whitmore Reans to be turned into a youth centre.
The Elms Resource Centre on Manby Close, which used to be a base for neighbourhood wardens before the scheme was scrapped, is currently leased to the Wolverhampton Muslim Forum (WMF) for a peppercorn rent of £1 a year.
However, Tory councillors discovered in December’s General Election that the WMF was allowing the Labour Party to use the building as a campaign centre, potentially in breach of electoral law which prohibits the use of council facilities for party-political purposes.
Now they are calling on Labour-controlled Wolverhampton Council to terminate the lease with the WMF, and convert the building into a youth centre for the Whitmore Reans area. Youth services in Wolverhampton have been severely lacking over recent years, since the council took the decision to close several clubs across the city in 2014.
Councillor Wendy Thompson, Leader of the Conservative Group, said: “We were appalled to discover that the Labour Party was using a council-owned building for its campaign activities during the recent General Election. We are following this up with the Electoral Commission as we believe this was a clear breach of electoral law.
“But this incident surely calls into question the Wolverhampton Muslim Forum’s continued lease of the Elms Resource Centre. Given the lack of youth services in the city, the Conservative Group wants to see the council turn this building into a youth centre for Whitmore Reans. That would clearly be a much better use of a council asset, and would ensure that there is a real community benefit.”
