Princes Risborough Town Council will do "everything possible" to save day centre (From Bucks Free Press)

Princes Risborough Town Council will do "everything possible" to save day centre

8:00am Thursday 29th July 2010 in

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A COUNCILLOR has criticised the proposal to close day centres in the county saying it “is not saving costs- it is gathering money.”

The Princes Risborough day centre in Clifford Road, which also houses the British Red Cross day care unit, is under threat from being closed because of Buckinghamshire County Council cuts in adult social care.

And BCC bosses announced details of £9.2m worth of cuts across all services yesterday (see link, bottom of story).

BCC bosses said two or three day centres, with suggested 'hubs' in Aylesbury and High Wycombe, will remain out of 22 open at present. A public consultation is running until the end of August.

Town councillor Reg Orsler said: “It seems to me this day centre does an immense amount of good for Risborough. I don't think putting hubs in Wycombe and Aylesbury will in anyway replace a local building where people will go.”

He added: “You are not going to save costs by selling everything up. That is not saving costs- that is gathering money.”

There will be a public meeting tonight at 7.30pm at the Royal British Legion in Bell Street, Princes Risborough with Speaker of the House of Commons, John Bercow, attending.

County Councillor and town councillor Carl Etholen said it is about saving two centres- not just one- and there are “so many volunteers in Risborough who do fantastic work”.

Cllr Eunice Clifford praised the work carried out at the centre. He said: “People don't know the workings of that day centre- the other works they do up there. It is the bathing, the hair washing and getting the doctor in.

“It is not just about pleasure- it about necessity.”

Town councillors voted in favour to support all possible efforts to save the day centre from closure.