Legal challenge over threat to Shrewsbury and Oswestry care centres
A High Court legal challenge has been launched to stop the imminent closure of adult day care centres in Shropshire.
Specialist lawyers have issued court proceedings to seek permission for a judicial review over Shropshire Council's decision to close two centres in Shrewsbury and two in Oswestry.
It comes as two adults with learning disabilities instructed national law firm Irwin Mitchell Solicitors to act on their behalf.
The Hartley's day care centre and Sabrina Court in Shrewsbury are earmarked for immediate closure, while Avalon and Lorne Street in Oswestry will close in the future.
The centre in Innage Lane, Bridgnorth, is under review and there are concerns about the future at Mayfair in Church Stretton.
After alleged problems with the consultation process, lawyers say they asked council bosses to halt their closure plans for Hartley's, in Monkmoor, and that residents had now been left with "no option" other than to mount a legal challenge.
The controversial decision to close the centres was taken in August by Councillor Tim Barker under new delegated powers after he considered a report by Stephen Chandler, director of adult social care.
Alex Rook, a specialist lawyer at Irwin Mitchell, said: "Our client and her family were distraught when the closure of the Hartley's day centre was announced.
"They say they have not been contacted at all about the potential closure.
"We believe the decision may have been unlawful because of a flawed consultation process and because the council failed to act in accordance with its obligations under the Equality Act 2010.
"They should have ensured that consultees, including those who use day services and those who care for adults who use day services, were aware of the proposal to close specific day centres, and explained to them the rationale so they could share their views.
"We tried to enter discussions with the council about the closure but it has refused to back down and is trying to press ahead with making staff redundant."
Mr Chandler said: "We are aware of the contact made by the law firm, and do not agree that there are any grounds for a judicial review.
"We appreciate the closure of these day centres is a difficult time, but a lot of work has been taking place with families and people who use day centres to find better ways of enabling them to be part of their communities by using their personal budgets."
Shropshire Council said no members of staff had been made redundant, although some had been given voluntary redundancy.
