PEOPLE have been assured that they will get the chance to have their say on the future of Malvern Youth Centre.

About 200 people packed into the Albert Road North venue to hear representatives from Worcestershire County Council, South Worcestershire College and the Malvern Community Collective (MCC) discuss options for its future.

The council is considering the future of the facility as it faces up to funding cuts of more than 50 per cent for youth services by 2014.

The college is keen to take over the site, creating classrooms and workshops along with a smaller ‘canteen’ area. Part of the site would also be used for housing.

However, MCC wants to take over the centre and run it as a charitable trust for youth and community use.

Councillor Liz Eyre assured a lively audience that MCC’s option would be considered.

A public consultation will be launched on Thursday. It will last until July, and Worcestershire Youth Cabinet also plans its own consultation. “I would not be here tonight, I wouldn’t have engaged with MCC and we wouldn’t be having this consultation unless we were in listening mode,” said Coun Eyre.

MCC spokesman Jill Terry said: “More than 2,000 people have signed our petition saying they support us and want to see this become a thriving site. We are working absolutely within the spirit of David Cameron’s Big Society. We have been told that the community has got to step up and start doing something, and that is what we are doing.”

Councillor Tom Wells told Coun Eyre: “You have a group of willing volunteers who are putting a case together to make the very best use of this facility and you would be mad to disregard it.” He said MCC should be allowed a three-year business plan with an initial council subsidy that would gradually reduce.

College principal Michael O’Brien said its £3 million scheme would provide a new youth facility at least half the size of the current one.

“What we are trying to do is quite simply to preserve the youth centre in this community and expand what it can offer in Malvern,” he said.