By Julie Armstrong

Last updated 08:32, Friday, 04 July 2008

Carlisle's chances of a £4.2 million Youth Zone rests in the hands of the county council.

On Tuesday they will decide whether to put their signature to plans for an impressive facility in the city.

It would be built next to the all-weather pitch at St Aidan’s School, where the new Richard Rose Academy will be.

One of the sponsors, Brian Scowcroft of Kingmoor Park, is warning the city could miss out on a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity”.

He and fellow sponsor Andrew Tinkler, of the Stobart Group, say they share the long-term aim of improving Cumbria’s economy by raising young people’s aspirations and chances.

“This would bring an iconic youth facility to Carlisle,” said Mr Scowcroft, who is chairing the Youth Zone Development Group. “A similar facility in Bolton has proved to have a big impact on decreasing crime and teenage pregnancies there.

“It is our vision to roll these youth zones out to the Barrow and west Lakes academies as well.

“It is important to give children in Cumbria a much better chance than they have had so far, to increase their aspirations of what they might achieve in life. Before this year, people had to leave the county to go to university, and around 90 per cent of those people did not return.”

Chris Humpleby, 16, who chairs St Aidan’s school council, said: “People stereotype kids, but they don’t do anything to make things better. This would give them something that is theirs.”

Carlisle’s Youth Zone would cost £750,000 a year to run, compared with £1.8 million for Bolton’s standalone facility.

Mr Scowcroft said: “Carlisle’s has the advantage of being tied up with the academy, being able to engage staff there and at the university.”

The county council and the academy would each have to fund 20 per cent of the running costs. The two sponsors would contribute 25 per cent in total, with another quarter coming from a national funder such as the lottery. The remaining 10 per cent would be paid for by admission charges, expected to be about 40p a day.

Mr Scowcroft and Mr Tinkler have promised to commit an extra £250,000 to enhance existing satellite facilities.

Mr Scowcroft said: “Councillors may argue it’s not right to concentrate all the money in one central facility, that it should be spread around. But the money is not available for eight £500,000 applications for eight sites around the city – it is all or nothing.

“With Trinity, Newman and St Aidan’s next door, more than half of Carlisle’s 11 to 19-year-old population is based there, and it is near to the city centre and the public transport links there.”

The facility, to be built over two years, would open 7.30am to 10pm every day of the year.