FEARS that plans to rebuild the Elton Centre will leave some users out in the cold are to be addressed.

Proposals for a new centre at David Street prompted a heated debate when they were announced at Bury West area board on Tuesday of last week.

Up to £450,000 will be made available for the facility to become one of six providing a focus for youth activities across the borough.

It will help counter a decline in youth services identified by the Government in recent years.

Social and personal education will be provided alongside leisure activities at the centre, being built with cash from Bury Council and the Connexions youth service.

The audience were told that news of the funding had only been received the day before, although consultation had already taken place with young people.

Youth service manager Barbara Lewis told the meeting that wider consultation would now take place. She added that the centre would concentrate its efforts on provision for those aged 11 to 25, particularly 13 to 19-year-olds.

Mrs Lewis said: "The Elton Centre is well past its sell-by date and we would want to ensure that there is still provision for young people in the area. We need to make sure that we can complete the building work in the next 12 months.

"We are in a very exciting phase of consultation with young people and groups that operate in that centre. There will be spare capacity at the centre, but the 13 to 19-year-old group will take priority."

The emphasis on teenagers was a source of concern for users, who fear they will be pushed out.

Co-ordinator of the Fun Bunch childcare club Melanie Riley raised concerns about the future of her group which rents space at the youth service managed centre. She said: "I appreciate that we have to provide a service for young people, but what is going to happen to the community activities that go alongside?

"The user groups that are in that building at the moment provide a real service to the community. There is no other community building in the area."

Area board chairman Coun Bob Bibby agreed that the interests of the wider community should be safeguarded.

He said: "Personally I think that we should be more involved in the consultation process.

"This building is being funded mainly by the local authority, with only a very small percentage coming from Connexions."

Members of the area board voted that the matter be referred to the council's economy, environment and transport scrutiny committee.