CAMPAIGNERS are fighting to save two community centres whose future is looking increasingly bleak in the Capital.
Residents are vowing to continue the battle to reopen the Calton Centre in Hillside after the council refused a plea to consider buying the dilapidated building.
At the same time, community leaders are calling for more investment in the Tollcross
Community Centre amid fears it is being left to run down.
The protesters' worries come amid growing concerns across the Capital about budgets for community provisions.
Councillor Paul Godzik, the Labour member for Meadows/Morningside, who represents many users of the Tollcross centre, said: "This seems to be yet another example of cuts to community services."
The Calton Centre on Montgomery Street has been put up for sale by its trustees who cannot afford an estimated £250,000 repair bill.
The trustees are looking for around £250,000, with the deadline for offers understood to have passed without a council bid. It is thought the building may be sold to developers to be converted into flats.
Councillor Angela Blacklock urged the council to look into buying the property to keep it in community use, but her call was thrown out by the council's education committee.
She said: "I was surprised the committee wasn't even prepared to look into this. For a community centre, this is actually very cheap.
"But just because the building may have gone, the need for it certainly won't have."
Cllr Blacklock is now calling for investigations to be made into how other surrounding buildings could be put to community use. She believes the area, made up of many rented flats, needs a community centre.
In Tollcross, residents are very concerned about the dwindling number of staff now running the centre, following the voluntary departure of two of them.
In a letter to councillors, the management committee said: "Our members are extremely anxious that the present administration of the centre is being handled by only one temporary admin worker.
"This does not offer nearly enough support to cover the many duties."
They fear that council budget pressures may mean staff are not replaced and provisions may suffer as a result.
Councillor Marilyne MacLaren, the city's education leader, said the council could not afford to buy and restore the Calton Centre.
She added: "We will lend our support wherever possible to ensure that the people in this area still have access to local resources.
"In respect to Tollcross, there is no possibility that this centre will close. There are currently two vacancies, but these have only arisen recently.
"We are looking carefully at all vacancies but, without question, if extra help is required in the meantime we will employ temporary cover."
The full article contains 458 words and appears in Edinburgh Evening News newspaper.
