Dismay as Wolverhampton health and library hub shelved after talks

Warstones Resource Centre had been earmarked to be transformed into a community building, featuring a built-in library, health centre, meeting room and cafeteria.

But Wolverhampton City Council has now shelved the plans, leaving residents fearing they may lose their library completely.

Merry Hill councillor, Chris Haynes said residents were 'crying out' for the centre to be kept up and running.

He said: "We were promised that Warstones would be a multi-purpose facility as an assurance that the locality wasn't going to lose its library altogether but, so far, nothing at all has happened apart from the residential care facility being emptied.

"Now the future of the centre has been left in limbo. This is the worst of all possible outcomes. We need to give our community groups some indication that the centre has a future."

Councillor Haynes added that he had spoken with council officers and urged them to bring forward a plan to keep the centre open. He said: "We don't have many publicly-owned community assets in this part of Wolverhampton, so Warstones is of extra-special value to local people."

Wolverhampton City Council's regeneration chief Councillor Elias Mattu, said the centre would remain open in its current form while the authority looked into different options for the site.

He said: "Earlier this year, the council entered formal negotiations with Wolverhampton Clinical Commissioning Group over proposals to develop a health, social care and community service hub in Warstones.

"As a result of these discussions, these proposals have proven not to be viable and, as a result, the council is now exploring possible alternative options for the site. We will update the community as soon as we are in a position to do so.

"In the meantime, groups will continue to use the building as they do at present."

The centre on Warstones Gardens used to house a day care centre for elderly people fitted with respite and rehabilitation facilities, although that was shut down in 2012 following council concerns about low usage.

At the time a petition launched to save the centre garnered more than 6,000 signatures.

A number of all-purpose hubs have opened across the city this year, as part of a council initiative to house services such as libraries and community centres under one roof.

Long Knowle Hub became the first to open in April, while similar ventures have since started up in Ashmore Park and Pendeford.