HINCKLEY & BURBAGE LIB DEMS TO LEAD THE CHARGE TO SAVE WESTFIELD COMMUNITY CENTRE

At tomorrow's County Council meeting Hinckley and Burbage Liberal Democrat County Councillors will lead the fight to stop the Conservative Administration at County Hall from cutting the funding of local community centres which could see the popular Westfield Community Centre close.

County Councillors David Bill (Lib Dem, Hinckley) and Stuart Bray (Lib Dem, Burbage Castle) will move and second an amendment to the Conservative budget to try and protect the funding and keep this vital community facility open.

They will be backed in their efforts by County Councillors Don Wright (Lib Dem, Hinckley) Keith Lynch (Lib Dem, Burbage Castle) and other Lib Dems from across the County.

Cllr David Bill says "The Westfield Centre has been providing essential services and has been at the heart of our community all the time I have been serving on the Council. With its crèches, day nursery, play groups, pre-school groups, kids' club, play schemes, youth clubs, leisure groups, adult education classes and all the other services it is inconceivable that it should close. We have saved other facilities when all hope was gone. Now we must fight to save Westfield."

Cllr Stuart Bray added, "I have been touched by the heartfelt pleas of local people who have written in to the County Council in support of the excellent facilities that Westfield provides. There is something for everyone at the centre from young childrens playgroups to elderly peoples clubs. These are much-loved services which must be retained. We urge the County Council to think again."

Liberal Democrat Parliamentary candidate for Bosworth, Michael Mullaney, has also thrown his weight behind the campaign to save Westfield. He has hit out at the decision by Conservative County Hall bosses to spend nearly £50,000 on plush new offices for their leader.

"This just shows where Conservative priorities lie. They spend money on offices for themselves but sack staff and close community centres. This should be a stark warning to Hinckley and Bosworth people ahead of the General Election. If this is what the Tories are like locally, what will they cut nationally?" he said.