A YOUNG people's skate park could be forced to close to bridge shortfalls in funding in a council department.

Up to 60 staff could be made redundant and a city youth centre could be closed as part of a major restructuring of the service.

The City of York Council Youth Service is facing an overspend of £70,000 on its budget, partly because money is needed to extend funding for its skate park, and partly because the service has been unsuccessful in getting local communities to take over the running of youth centres.

Now councillors are being faced with the decision of either closing the skate park now -saving £25,000 next year - or finding cash to plug the funding gap.

"We cannot make provision for that amount of money from the youth service budget, so the decision for the councillors is whether to close the skate park or to find that additional sum of money to continue," said youth service head Paul Herring.

A further fleet of proposals has been put forward to try to streamline the youth service.

The restructured service would see 60 part-time staff - mainly youth centre staff who work one evening or afternoon a week - being lost from the staff of 140, to be replaced by more full-time staff.

At least one of the youth centres in the city would be closed, saving £45,000, with a focus instead on six or seven centres of "best practice".

The restructured service would cost £25,000 more than the current budget.

"I think the outcomes for young people would be enhanced," said Mr Herring.

Updated: 10:25 Tuesday, July 06, 2004