Don't Close the Ian Goodchild Centre!

11.08.00am GMT Sun 29th Nov 2009

Elderly users of the Ian Goodchild Centre will be bussed to Bagshot

Surrey Heath Borough Council plans to close the Ian Goodchild Centre in Camberley as a daycare centre for the elderly in 2010 in order to save £150,000 per year. Provision at the Windle Vally Centre in Bagshot is to be increased and it is hoped that other services can be provided by community groups. The capital cost of the changes would be around £250,000. Liberal Democrats have opposed the plan as ill-thought out, disproportionately damaging to provision to local elderly people, and unlikely to achieve the budget savings identified.

Surrey Heath Borough Council is looking for savings in its annual expenditure to fund a black hole caused by the collapse of its income generated by interest on its investments. One of its flagship plans to address this is to close the Ian Goodchild Centre (IGC as a Day Care Centre for the Elderly. The plan is to make use of the Centre as a "multi-functional community facility". To replace the IGC, which is next to the Library in Camberley, the Windle Vally Centre in Bagshot is to revise its opening times from 4 to 5 days per week. The Council wants additional services to be provided by facilities run by community groups in West End and Bisley, which the Council currently partly supports by grants.

Liberal Democrats Councillors "called-in" the decision on the basis that:

· The views and input of users of the current users, their carers and families, or the Centre's staff were not adequately sought or taken into account. A large petition to the Council was also not properly considered.

· Alternatively uses of the IGC were not adequately explored. In particular, some of the suggestions had already been repeatedly rejected by other Council Committees, and others were simply relocating other Council services

· No discussion had yet been concluded with Surrey County Council about bearing its proper share of the costs. Provision of services to the elderly is a statutory County Council responsibility.

· The financial case for spending the £250,000 capital cost was simply not adequately justified and the projected savings were unlikely to be achieved

Although the Call-In was not supported, there are signs that clear demonstration of widespread disquiet with this policy may yet cause the Conservative Executive to pause and reconsider. Further study of the issues has been conceded by the Leader of the Council, and Liberal Democrats will fully participate in that process.

Liberal Democrats will continue to press for both compassion AND responsible financial planning to be applied in the case of the Ian Goodchild Centre.