Views sought on Paignton youth centre future

Critics say it has 'failed miserably'

People in Torbay are being invited to have their say on the future of a Paignton youth centre paid for with £6 million of lottery money.

The building known as ‘New Parkfield’ was built in 2011 to create a hub for youth services. It has a BMX track, a sports hall, a climbing wall, a recording studio, a skate park and a cafe.

But the BMX track needs repairs costing tens of thousands of pounds, the skate park has no toilets and most of the other facilities are hardly used.

The main building, constructed under the government’s MyPlace community initiative and funded by the National Lottery, is currently used by the Medical Tuition Service, which caters for a small number of children who can’t attend other schools because of their medical needs.

In 2021, MTS took a 25-year lease at a nominal rent from Torbay Council which spent £600,000 adapting the building for it to use.

The council has been urged to re-open the centre for the community, and as long ago as 2017 local groups lobbied to take it over from the council, saying it was failing in its aims.

Pressure group Action For Paignton says it should be available for the whole community to use every day of the week as an activity and social centre.

A spokesman said: “New Parkfield has failed miserably to deliver what it promised at the time of applying for the MyPlace grant.”

Now the future of New Parkfield is being discussed as part of a re-organisation of the way the council works with children with special needs.

A survey on the council’s website says the covenant for the Parkfield building states that it must be used primarily for youth activities.

The council says its plans mean it will be used ‘to provide maximum benefit for children and young people in Torbay, through a vibrant and active use of the site at all times’.

The council’s statement continues: “We want to ensure that this facility has a vibrant community feel and as part of the consultation we will seek views on how we can enable this to occur outside of school hours, including evenings, weekends and holiday periods.”

The plans would mean students and staff having access to New Parkfield during the day, with local youth groups using it during evenings and weekends.