Sandwell Council spending £700k on two new youth buses, but councillor calls purchase "illogical"
Sandwell Council is investing £700,000 in two brand-new double-decker buses which will provide activities for young people in the borough, but a local councillor is calling the purchase "illogical".
The council has spent £500,000 on purchasing the buses - which will replace the current, "ageing" Youth Bus - and will now kit them out with the latest tech.
Facilities on offer for young people will include a mini recording studio, a sensory area, a virtual reality offer, smart TVs, and gaming consoles.
However, Councillor David Wilkes, representing the Princes End Ward, has written an open letter asking how the council can "justify such an expense" during its financial deficit.
In his letter to Councillor Simon Hackett, cabinet member for children, young people and education, Wilkes asks why the council is not using the money to build or buy community and youth centres.
In response, Councillor Hackett has called the initiative a "vital service" and "real worthwhile investment".
Calling the funding decision "wholly illogical" and "disheartening", Councillor Wilkes said: "I advocate for any and all help aimed at our younger generations. However, I would be remiss if I failed to scrutinise the value for money this particular expenditure provides.
