A Worcester youth centre could close down because not enough youngsters are using it.

The future of Worcester City Youth Centre is in the balance as the forthcoming council cuts continue to hit home.

A review of the county council’s building assets in Worcester indicates officers think that there is one premises too many in the city.

While a final decision has not yet been made, closing the centre down would impact on youth and the local community groups which would need to find another home to deliver their activities.

Rose Beeston is the manager of Dancefest, which runs five dance sessions for youngsters aged 11 upwards at the centre in Spring Gardens, off City Walls Road, every Monday.

She said: “There aren’t that many dance spaces in the city centre that community groups can use.

“It would be a shame if we had to find another space, but I would be sorry not to have a place in the city centre as it’s easier for people to get to from a travel point of view.”

It costs the county council, which is setting out to save up to £70 million by 2015 at a loss of about 1,500 jobs, £39,000 to run the Spring Gardens building every year.

It no longer funds youth workers there, although the centre is still used as a base for a range of other services which are delivered by county council staff, community and voluntary groups.

The council is arguing that feedback from youngsters in Warndon has indicated children prefer to use centres in their own neighbourhoods instead of travelling into the city centre.

Councillor Liz Eyre, the cabinet member for children’s services, said: “This has been reflected in recent years by the lower levels of attendance at the city centre building when compared with the other more local provision in the city.”

As a result the council is now contemplating closing the Worcester City Youth Centre down. Coun Eyre said that while there will be cuts to youth services it is hoped working together with the city council and members of the Worcester Community Trust will mean that it will still be possible to provide positive activities for young people, but in a different way to how they are currently provided.