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    English councils plan to sell off social clubs and sports centres to balance books
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    English councils plan to sell off social clubs and sports centres to balance books

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    16 Comments

    1. D1789 on

      > Survey finds 60% of key cities councils are planning to sell assets to meet costs of adult and children’s social care.

      Ironically, it’s things like social clubs and sports centres that can massively help in reducing the load on social care. They should be investing in them and making them more accessible to all, not getting rid.

      These spaces in our communities help people socially, help promote our physical health and our mental health.

    2. mileseverett on

      If it’s anything like the companies i’ve worked for in the past, they’ll buy the facilities, give them a cheap but fresh makeover and then let the facilities fall into disrepair over years

    3. InternationalTie4784 on

      Those clubs would probably be more valuable if they were replaced with social housing and other amenities closer to the people and homeless

    4. NGeoTeacher on

      Of course they do, because when hasn’t selling off assets brought prosperity and efficiency to our services?

    5. BlindStupidDesperate on

      Honestly, what do most councils have left to sell?

      Most are struggling to meet the legal minimums like effective social care and refuse collection thanks to nearly 20 years of austerity and managed decline.

    6. the-rood-inverse on

      The death spiral continues. Every asset. Every social good will be sold to an “investor” who will maximise profit by ensuring the minimum number of people have access to that asset.

    8. IsyABM on

      Fuck.

      I can’t afford £20 padel sessions. £3 badminton session at the local leisure centre is how poor folk like me get some fun in.

    9. mixxituk on

      Scotland had the right ideal selling its own bonds

      They could do this with the new devoluted super counties

      Ey lass, got some reet Yorkshire bonds for thi

    10. eldomtom2 on

      It’s not going to get any better unless the national government takes responsibility for paying for social care, but that means raising taxes and people bitching and moaning about “the productive being taxed to help the unproductive”…

    11. coffeewalnut08 on

      This is one of the things I don’t quite get about English devolution plans.

      If many councils are broke af, how could they possibly use new devolved powers effectively?

      The financial situation of local authorities needs sorting.

    13. EntirelyRandom1590 on

      This has been happening in Wales already but mostly Comnunity Asset Transfers where a lease for a facility is given to a local charitable organisation/company that handles the building. Greatly reduces council liabilities and day to day. Gives communities greater control (we’ve modernised ours with solar, heat pumps and additional income streams etc).

    14. appletinicyclone on

      put a tax on billionaires if they live in specific areas to cover social and connective things that benefits them through making the path for a safer more community oriented society

    15. Astriania on

      It’s just a terrible attitude of short termism and council funding being removed to the point they can’t function.

      Councils shouldn’t be required to pay for adult care, it should be a national level thing (part of the NHS probably). And arguably not for SEN schooling either.

      Running facilities like this, which are a social asset that improves the standard of living in the council area, is one of the core functions of councils.