Angry residents and carers have hit out at “ridiculous” plans to transfer residential short breaks for disabled adults from Beaconsfield to the north of the county.

Bucks County Council (BCC) is currently consulting on proposals to transfer residential short break services from Seeleys House in Beaconsfield to the Aylesbury opportunities centre, as the site “is not fit for purpose”.

However, the plans have been met with a wide range of criticism, including from the charity that supports the Beaconsfield centre – Friends of Seeleys House (FOSH).

Secretary at FOSH, Tim Addison, raised concerns BCC has not provided any other options to what is proposed, and asked if a new centre could be opened in the south of the county.

He fears the 45-minute drive it takes to get to Aylesbury would be too time-consuming for the service-users.

Mr Addison said: “If there was a good alternative, then we would be happy with that.

“Seeleys House is a great site, it has grounds and it was a good facility for many years and a lot of that was down to the efforts of the South Bucks Association of the Disabled, who put a lot of money into the centre.

“The consultation paper was rather unfair, as it spoke about the damning CQC report that said it was rated inadequate, however a lot of work has gone into improving it since then.”

Carers say the transfer would be disruptive for the service users –  as the Aylesbury site will have to close for a year so a partial rebuild can take place, while day services will be permanently reduced to make way for the new service.

Short breaks allow children and adults with disabilities to spend time away from home and develop independence, which allows their primary carers to have a break from caring responsibilities.

If plans are given the green light, BCC is expected to make £4.5 million from the sale of Seeleys House, which will be put into a general funding pot.

The cash-strapped council is working to slash £524,000 from its direct care and support services in the face of over stretched budgets.

And this week BCC revealed plans to scrap a farmyard based employment service in the north of the county, specifically for people with disabilities, in a bid to save £124, 000.

During a meeting of Beaconsfield Town Council yesterday (February 1) a member of the public asked members what they planned on doing to support the county council consultation.

Deborah Sanders said: “Can you imagine how little time [the service users] are going to have for any activities if they are going to have to go to Aylesbury. It is absolutely ridiculous.

“I have heard the information, and I am grateful for that, but you haven’t told me what this council is going to do to actually try and support this consultation.”

However, mayor of Beaconsfield, councillor Anita Cranmer, said while she believes the journey to Aylesbury will be “arduous and difficult” for those who use Seeleys, she could not make any further comments until the consultation is over.

She said: “I cannot tell you that because this consultation is not yet over, and many people are saying what you are saying.  Personally, I feel it is going to be a journey that is going to be arduous, difficult, and possibly not viable for the people who use Seeleys.

“I cannot tell you how it will be resolved at this point in time.”

A parent of  an Aylesbury client said she is “incredibly upset” over plans to reduce day centre places, and fears the move is being “hidden” behind the proposals to transfer the residential service.

The parent, who asked not to be named, said: “I had to request that BCC wrote a much clearer letter to all Aylesbury families making it clear that places, after any rebuild, would be limited and therefore many day clients who are moved elsewhere for the duration of a rebuild would not necessarily return to Aylesbury.”

Spokesman for BCC, Emma Denley, said the proposal “has been considered carefully” and asked anyone affected by the plans to have their say during the consultation.

She said: “We want to improve and modernise this service by ensuring we provide safe, quality care jointly with health in a purpose-built environment.

“We are asking for views on our proposal to move the service to Aylesbury from its current location at Seeley’s House in Beaconsfield.

“We have considered this proposal carefully and would urge residents to look at the information we have provided  on our website www.buckscc.gov.uk/shortbreaksforadults, especially the ‘questions and answers’ page that will help people understand some of the details, including key facts and figures about the current service and form their view.”

The final public information events will be held on:

Monday, February 4 at the Aylesbury Opportunities Centre from 6pm to 8pm

Tuesday, February 26 at Seeleys House from 10am to 12pm