Residents concerned as council looks to close ‘The Barn’

Letter from the council proposing to close The Barn in Falinge

Residents are growing concerned that the local community will lose a much loved aspect as Rochdale Council decide whether or not to close The Barn in Falinge.

Rochdale Council needs to save £37 million over the next two financial years and is currently asking for views on savings proposals.

The proposed review of play provision change will:

• Cease the current staffed open access play provision at The Falinge Park Play Barn.
•  Reconfigure current grant funding to local groups for the delivery of open access provision and related support.

Local resident Dionne Walsh said: “The money they will save will be a drop in the ocean of the £37 million that they need to save, so is it really worth it? It will be such a shame if it is closed. It is such a good place to go to.”

Dionne attends The Barn on a Monday afternoon with her young son and has relatives who go during the week.

“When I have been on a Monday, there is at least 30 children there. It is always busy and it is not only young children. There are kids who are at least 16-years-old there,” added Dionne.

The Barn currently has a number of different things available for children of all ages including games consoles, painting facilities, dolls and prams, a table tennis table, football nets and bikes.

Dionne said: “It is a really good place where the kids can go after school and then they can go home at tea time and then its bath and bed. It’s perfect to give them somewhere to go that’s local. I’ve recently heard that people travel from Queensway, Littleborough and Whitworth to use this service.”

Dionne and those who run the service now want Rochdale Council to reconsider closing The Barn.

“We just want our views to be heard and for them to listen to the people who use it because it is fabulous. The ladies who run it are writing to the council and I think some of the kids who go are also going to write in, so their views can be heard. If this closes there will be nowhere for the kids to go and thigs will just go downhill,” said Dionne.

Gail Hopper, Director of Children’s Services at Rochdale Borough Council, said: “We're preparing for a very challenging budget gap following reductions in government funding and increased demand for council services. One proposal is to reduce the play provision in the borough.

“Falinge Park Play Centre costs £52,000 a year and attendance levels indicate it’s either meeting a small number of children’s needs at a high cost, or is a service that is taken up occasionally by a larger number of children. No decision has been taken and we are encouraging residents to have their say on the proposal by 23 October.

“A copy of the proposal is also available in local libraries and council customer service centres, where residents can use free computers to have their say.”

Residents can have their say on the proposals by visiting:

www.rochdale.gov.uk/savings