South Shields MP raises Chuter Ede Community Centre closure in the House of Commons

The Member of Parliament for South Shields put the question to Stuart Andrew, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism, Heritage and Civil Society in the House of Commons on Thursday, April 27.

The MP has previously spoken of her “surprise” at the decision to close the community centre, on Galsworthy Road in Biddick Hall, and offered her support to the people who use the centre.

In Parliament, she raised the issue and asked if it is high energy bills, the cost of living crisis, or cuts of local authority budgets that is to blame for the closure of community centres across the country.

Mrs Lewell-Buck said: “Chuter Ede Community Centre in South Shields, along with many other centres and sports facilities across the country is facing closure.

“Does the Secretary of State think it’s the lack of Government help with their high energy bills, the Conservative cost of living crisis, or the Conservative-led local authority cuts that’s to blame?”

Stuart Andrew, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Sport, Tourism, Heritage and Civil Society, responded: “This Government has given significant support to organisations up and down the country to help with cost of living issues.

“That’s on top of the programs that we’re providing, including the ones that I was talking about a moment ago, into grassroots sport.

“We are putting more money into grassroots sport now than what has been put in for probably decades.”

The Community Interest Organisation, which operates the Community Association at Chuter Ede, informed groups in March of its decision to close the centre on May 5, due to financial reasons.

Despite owning the building, South Tyneside Council has stated that it has not been involved in the decision to close the community centre.

Instead, the council stepped in and agreed to extend the closure date to the end of the summer holidays, with the local authority confirming that it will be working with the community groups that use the centre to find another location for them.

Lynne Griffiths, who runs Lynne’s Dancefit at Chuter Ede, has pleaded with South Tyneside Council to not close the site, highlighting that anti-social behaviour could rise if young people don’t have a place to go.

A petition to save the community centre from closure has been signed by almost 2,000 people at the time of writing - you can view it by clicking here.

Read South Tyneside’s news on the go with our free email newsletters - bringing the headlines to your inbox. Catch up on the day’s news and sport and enjoy even more from your Gazette. Visit our website here to find out more and sign up.