CHAIR of a youth project in Callington is ‘not giving up’ after the town council rejected its proposal to acquire some land for a youth club building.

Paul Carey, Chair of The Callington Youth Project Group a charity established to improve youth provision in Callington appealed to Callington Town Council for a plot of land to build a permanent premises for the youth of Callington.The group currently provide ‘LiveWireBus’, a free minibus service which takes young people to the youth music project Livewire in Saltash.

At a meeting with the outside services committee last month, Paul presented the proposal which was rejected by the council on the grounds that they wish to use spare land to expand the cemetery in the future.

Callington previously had a youth club that was owned by Cornwall Council but it was closed down and the building was sold. Paul feels there is still a need for a youth building in the town, with his long-term ambition to create a space similar to Livewire.

Paul said: ‘When Cornwall Council sold the youth club building, the proceeds of that sale was about £80,000 and that money now sits with Callington Town Council. Callington still needs one. The youth of Callington are no different to how they were ten years ago and they need somewhere to go. Our view is that we need a permanent place to replace the one that was sold off and it needs to be in the centre of Callington.’

The group decided to appeal to the council after their original plans to rent a space unfortunately fell through. Last year, the group proposed to lease at a peppercorn rent the upper floors of Callington Social Club. However after nine months the club secured a deal with a property developer.

Paul expressed that the youth need a place to go to prevent anti-social behaviour in the town, support their ambitions and provide guidance.

‘We’ve got a lot of problems in Callington, people say the youth of Callington are hanging around and get up to no good’, said Paul.

‘We’re looking for a place where they can keep out of trouble and if we can provide a youth worker then we’re also guiding them. If they’re not careful some kids get into trouble, take up drugs, get into crime and before you know it they become dead people.’

Two pieces of land were proposed by CYPG with the preferred location being the land off South Hill road as it was the area with the largest amount of space.

The outside services committee rejected the proposal.

Sue Tolman, portreeve said: ‘In the future we will be looking to expand the cemetery. Within the next ten years we will have run out of space. It’s not imminent, but it wil be on the agenda very soon. There is a limit of land in Callington and we ourselves will be looking for some.

‘We support his ambitions, but he wanted us to give him land and in this economic climate we can’t just give land away.’

Paul is going back to the drawing board, saying: ‘I’m frustrated but determined to carry on.’