Campaigners fighting to save Woolston Neighbourhood Hub have said they will continue their campaign after staging a demonstration outside Warrington Borough Council’s offices ahead of the latest Cabinet meeting.
Consultation results still unpublished months after closure
Residents who took part in a council consultation that closed in January were told the results would be published in early spring, but by late summer the outcomes had not appeared online. An internal council email dated 27 January reportedly outlined three possible options: full re‑opening, partial re‑opening and full closure.
Campaign organisers say the council has since confirmed by email that it does not currently have the capital funds available to carry out necessary repairs to bring the Hub back into safe use. That position mirrors comments from the Leader of the Council made at a previous Cabinet meeting, which indicated that external investment would be required to cover repairs, ongoing maintenance and annual operating costs.
“After spending hundreds of pounds, thousands of volunteer hours, collecting more than 3,500 consultation responses, sending hundreds of emails, organising demonstrations… ”
Supporters say those facts raise questions about whether the consultation truly offered three realistic options, or whether the practical choices were effectively limited to full closure or transfer of responsibility to a third-party willing to fund repairs and running costs.
Council response and next steps
The Deputy Leader for Communities, Culture and Leisure, Cllr Jean Flaherty, told the Cabinet that the consultation results would be published on the council website during the week. She added that, following external advice, the council would treat the completed exercise as a pre-consultation, and that a further programme of public engagement would form the formal consultation.
Campaigners reacted with frustration at the reclassification and the apparent delay, saying their sustained volunteer effort and the volume of responses — more than 3,500 submissions — merited clearer, quicker action.
- Consultation closed: January (responses collected)
- Internal email dated: 27 January (three options cited)
- Campaigners’ input: over 3,500 responses; hundreds spent in fundraising; thousands of volunteer hours
| Stakeholder | Position / Action |
|---|---|
| Save Woolston Hub campaigners | Demand publication of results; seek council commitment to keep Hub in public control |
| Warrington Borough Council (Deputy Leader) | To publish consultation results; reclassify exercise as pre-consultation; hold further engagement |
The dispute centres on how to fund essential repairs and the long-term operating costs. The council has indicated that without external investment the Hub cannot be brought back into safe use, a position that shifts the debate from whether the Hub should re-open to who will take responsibility for financing it.
For residents, the immediate practical questions remain: when will the council publish the full consultation material, what will the further engagement involve, and what options (if any) exist for securing the capital required to restore the building? Campaigners say they will press for answers and continue public demonstrations until they receive clearer commitments.
More details on the council’s promised publication and the schedule for the formal consultation are expected to appear on the council website in the coming days.
