CITY council cabinet members have signed off on proposals to close a specialist youth advice centre in York, but offered some hope of another future for the service.

The cabinet met last night to discuss changes in children’s services – including the Castlegate centre – as well as the recommendations of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents on river safety and the plan to extend Fulford School.

Fifteen members of the public spoke at the beginning of the meeting, many objecting to the plans to close the Castlegate centre, and to urge councillors to postpone the plans until Castlegate staff had had more time to come up with alternative proposals.

Carol Pugh warned the cabinet that closing the Castlegate centre would affect not just those young people who use the service now, but those who might need its help in five years or more.

She added: “There are many good services out there, but the services offered at Castlegate are not offered anywhere else. When services are offered holistically, they just work better.”

Cllr Janet Looker, the cabinet member for children’s services, said the proposals were being considered “with a heavy heart.”

She said the services as Castlegate had been successful because of the people and the staff providing them.

Cllr Looker also addressed concerns that a move to West Offices for the youth services Castlegate provides would put young people off.

She said if the offices were uncomfortable for vulnerable young people, they would be uncomfortable for vulnerable families and adults as well, and the council should improve that for the sake of everyone in the city.

Speakers also told the cabinet members that staff wanted to talk to them about alternative ways of delivering the service – like staff co-operatives, or social enterprises – and there was some hope offered when cabinet agreed to add a caveat to their decision, saying that must take place.

But Cllr David Levene, who spoke of his professional background in social enterprises, said he did not see how the service could run as a social enterprise without charging for its services – something the council is not willing to consider.

The same report dealt with proposals to change the way children’s centres are run in the city over the coming years.

The cabinet also agreed to spend £100,000 to improve river safety with improvements such as new rescue rings, to be installed by November, riverside fencing, and awareness campaign; approved a plan to extend Fulford School; and plans for the new culture, tourism and marketing body in York.