Dorset youth centre cuts to save £1m approved

A protest was held outside County Hall in Dorchester as the council met to approve the cuts

A plan to remove funding for 22 council-run youth centres in Dorset in a bid to save £1m has been approved.

Dorset County Council said it was moving away from a buildings-based service and hoped community groups would take on the running of services.

In a meeting attended by youth workers as well as children from across the county, opponents spoke passionately in a bid to dissuade councillors.

The council currently spends £2.2m a year on youth services.

Janet Dover, the Liberal Democrat councillor for Colehill East, said: "It's impractical, the implications are too severe, the risk is too high to do this to young people in Dorset.

"Huge amounts of expertise will be lost, young people in need deserve to be looked after properly."

Youth workers, young people and parents protested outside County Hall in Dorchester as the council met to approve the cuts.

The authority said the cuts would "impact on staff".

The council said the buildings it owned or leased for youth work could be taken on by the local community or it may decide to sell some.