Essex Local News - Local News From And For Essex

Essex Local News - Local News From And For Essex

12/01/12 Future Savings - Council works with day centre members

Over 325 day centre members attended public meetings at Basildon’s three day centres to discuss options and agree future changes needed, as the council seeks to make savings following central government cuts.

The meetings follow a service review and previous consultation in 2011, when the council announced it needed to save £120,000 from the total day centre budget of £670,000. The budget reductions are part of the council's overall response to securing a sustainable financial position for the future.

At the George Hurd Centre, members opted to increase annual membership fees from £4 per person per annum to £1 per household per week (for all three centres) and £1.50 per week for out of borough members (from £8 a year).

Pitsea Day Centre members opted for a combination of increasing the membership fee by £6 per person per year; increasing class fees by 50p per person per class and reducing opening hours by an hour a day.

At Laindon Day Centre, the user committee asked fellow members to allow them to develop their own solution and submit their own proposals to the council next week. It is likely that the ideas will include a mix of increases to membership fees and prices for trips. If this option is not considered sustainable, their preferred options were to increase the membership fee by £1 per household per week (or £1.50 for out of borough members) and increase class fees by 50p per person per class.

Cllr Andrew Baggott, cabinet member for community services, said: “This council is committed to doing the basics right, but also providing additional services like day centres that are well loved and well used. However, the reality is that we have less funding and have to make savings across the range of council services including the day centres.

“I have consistently made it clear that no centres will close, but we do have to make changes that will have an impact on users. That is why I have placed so much importance on full consultation with the day centre members and why we worked together on the proposals.

“I am pleased that we had over 300 attendees, but as there are some 3,000 in total I would have liked the turnout to be higher. With that in mind, I have decided to extend the consultation and will be writing to all day centre members before final decisions are made.”

Changes will take effect on 1st April 2012.

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