AHMED Raza writes (You Say, Saturday, May 3) accusing the entire city and county councils of mass discrimination against the Asian/Muslim community in All Saints Ward.
As both a city and county councillor for the area for up to 12 years, I have to say that Ahmed Raza is wrong.
The city and county have both delivered all the usual services to All Saints residents without fear or favour.
I have seen no sign of discrimination against the Asian community.
In part, however, both councils have failed to get to grips with the language difficulties and customs of those Asian residents who need council services.
This is a deficiency that I have been trying for a number of years to get corrected and which improves all the time, particularly in the area of Social Services.
In the late 90s, a research project was carried out into Asian housing needs. The city housing department was helping to deliver the recommendations, especially for the elderly.
Stanley Road Primary school has, for very many years, employed teachers who teach children who cannot speak English to learn the language in their early years. The Mosque was able to be built because of city planning decisions and helped with finance for the community part of the building.
For some years, there has been a Youth Club in Stanley Road for the 11 to 16-year-old young people, provided and run by the city.
The Community Centre which was to have been built on Stanley Road was planned and cash was set aside for construction by the highly successful Labour administration of the city council.
A series of community centres was planned throughout the city in the 1980s and 90s on the basis of most needs first. Most of the money to build was in balances when Labour lost power more than three years ago.
What more "social funds" does Ahmed Raza want? All Saints has had a very fair share over the years. Finally, the community centre was to have been built for all the community, black, white and Asian, of all ages and not, most certainly not, for any one group of residents, so the loss of the Community Centre is one for all the community, not just the Asian/Muslim people.
COUN ROB PEACHEY, Worcester.
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