For over two years Liberal Democrats fought from within the Coalition Cabinet on Walsall Council to reverse a Tory decision taken back in April 2011 to “dispose of The Allens Centre”.

Last night, under a Labour Administration that fight came to an end. The Tories got what they wanted back in 2011 as the Labour Chair of the Business Scrutiny Panel used his casting vote to consign The Allens Centre to the bulldozer.

Yes Labour, in a damage limitation exercise carried out to support the Labour councillor in Willenhall North, will point to the fact that they have saved the caretaker’s house for some sort of community use. Don’t be fooled by this face saving act of desperation. It’s a small house, as it stands you couldn’t swing a cat round in it let alone convert it into a Community Hub and a centre for  community activities!

Tonight at a meeting of Willenhall’s Area Panel councillors will be discussing a possible base for a Community Hub, well thanks to Labour, we can kiss goodbye to The Allens Centre for such a base.

Oh and whilst we’re on we can kiss goodbye to New Invention Library as a Community Hub, Labour’s Budget cobbled together with the Tories saw to that as the library on The Square is still at threat of closure next year.

We’ve already lost the Lighthouse Children’s Centre as it will shrink back to a shadow of its old self under Labour’s plans to “reorganise” Children’s Centres across the Borough. Not a lot left in the North Willenhall area following Labour’s six months whirlwind hatchet job, is there?