Bournemouth's Lib Dem Council have decided to close both the remaining Day Centres on the eastern side of the town. There is mounting speculation as to whether their policy is to phase-out day centre provision throughout Bournemouth completely.

Leading the Conservatives' campaign against the closures, Cllr Stephen Clarke said, 'Many Bournemouth residents are very concerned about yet another Council service closing, especially one which gives such vital support to some of the most vulnerable people in our society. It's an appalling way to treat elderly people in Southbourne.'

The Conservatives have been fighting hard to get this decision overturned and have pleaded with the Lib Dems to listen and at least keep the day centre at Broadwaters open. Conservatives agree that the centre at Seabourne could be closed and the site sold with a proportion of the money being spent on Broadwaters to bring it up to date and to expand it so that it would be able to provide a proper service over the long term. The Lib Dems want to sell Seabourne and use the money for some other 'priority' project.

These closures have been made in the name of 'modernisation' but are nothing of the kind. They are a short-term fix to save money without any proper strategy being put in place other than to ask the hard pressed and untrained voluntary sector to provide some of the service. The Lib Dems have wriggled their way out of giving an opportunity to the public or the Ward Councillors to have any meaningful consultation about the future of day care provision on the eastern side of Bournemouth. The arguments put forward for the ending of the service simply do not stand up to scrutiny and are at odds with what the Lib Dems were saying about Social Services support only last year.

This approach to elderly people is out of date and will fail both the users and the providers of the service. What the Conservatives want to see is a proper review of the long-term provision of day care in Bournemouth with meaningful consultation, focused on improving the service. Providing a proper service across the town is the very least these elderly and vulnerable users of day care should be able to expect in 2004. Having to travel to the other side of Bournemouth without any certainty that the Council can be trusted to continue the service next year or the year after is unacceptable and the Conservatives will carry on fighting these inadequate and ill thought out plans.

For further details please contact:-

Cllr John Beesley
Bournemouth Conservatives
on Bournemouth Council

Tel. 01202 762403
Mobile 07860 391219
email john.beesley@bournemouth.gov.uk