A PUBLIC meeting chaired by West Dorset MP Oliver Letwin has been called in Lyme Regis to discuss youth facilities in the town.

It comes after failed attempts by anxious parents and youth workers to re-open the Lyme Regis Club for Young People in Church Street.

The campaigners called on the town and county councils to open the doors of the former boys club as soon as possible after the Woodroffe School was forced to pull out of negotiations to make use of the building.

Dorset County Council – which would have been responsible for the on-going maintenance – said the repairs and costs needed would be impossible to meet.

Mr Letwin will lead a meeting arranged by LymeForward’s Lyme Regis Youth Consortium on Friday, February 12, at 5.30pm in St Michael’s Primary School hall.

Youth organisations in the town, the Woodroffe School and Dorset Youth Service have been working together behind the scenes and are now ready to examine other possible sites and options for a youth facility.

The group says it must move fast before money earmarked for youth provision is lost.

LymeForward chairwoman Sally Holman said everyone is welcome to the meeting.

She said: “The consortium is made up of those who attended a meeting last May at Dorchester which was called by Oliver Letwin, in response to his concern over inadequate provision for youth in the town.

“It brought together the county council youth service, Woodroffe School, Lyme Regis Town Council, the Development Trust, Woodroffe School, the Club for Young People, St Michael’s Primary School, the Children’s Centre, the Parish Church Council and LymeForward.

“This group now includes representatives of parents and those who work with youth in the town.

“By pooling our resources and ideas, we have hopes of finding practical solutions and making progress, especially now we have the County Youth Service on our side. It is hoped that anyone with an interest in youth matters will come along with good ideas.

Anyone who would like to make suggestions before the meeting should contact Sally Holman through LymeForward co-ordinator Ellen Rooke at ellen.rooke@lrdt.co.uk The Club for Young People said it did not wish to comment.