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Naburn Court: 1,200 sign up to save Whinmoor day centre
Campaigners fighting the planned closure of Naburn Court in Whinmoor have handed a 1,200-name petition to local councillors.
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People using Naburn Court, their friends, families and the local community have signed the document calling on Leeds council to abandon plans to axe the unit.
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The petition was handed to councillors Peter Gruen and Suzi Armitage who have pledged to help save the centre.
Councillor Gruen (Lab, Cross Gates and Whinmoor) said: "It is simply not right that savings should be made at the expense of some of the most vulnerable people in the city. I can guarantee local people we will continue to fight to save Naburn Court.
"If the council pushes ahead with these plans older people will be forced to leave a great centre, friends they've made and wonderful staff."
Coun Armitage (Lab, Cross Gates and Whinmoor) added: "I am delighted to receive the petition opposing the closure of Naburn Court.
"This issue is very close to my heart and I am absolutely committed to making sure the council is fully aware of the damage it will cause to older people and their carers if it goes ahead with these plans."
The centre is one of six in Leeds under threat from the authority's plans to restructure day care services.
The others are Woodhouse, Otley, Holbeck, Bramley Lawn, and the Doreen Hamilton Centre in Osmondthorpe.
Council bosses say the centres are underused and they could save 600,000 a year by closing them. Instead, they want to use the money to make direct payments to users which they can then spend on whatever care service they would like to receive. More cash would also be spent on people with greater needs, such as dementia, they say.
However, campaigners say that numbers are only dropping at the centres because social services bosses have "moved the goalposts" by changing the criteria on which people are given a place.
* Public consultation on the closure plans finishes at the end of September and a final decision is likely to be made at the council's executive board in November.
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Saturday 04 February 2012
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