COUNCILLORS at Warrington have thrown out a bid by health chiefs to extend the opening hours of a care centre for people with learning disabilities so it can deal with children and young people.
Currently the purpose-built centre in Birch Avenue, Winwick closes at 6pm in the week, 12 noon on Saturdays and is closed on a Sunday.
But the 5 Boroughs
Partnership NHS Trust want it to stay open until 10pm, seven days a week.
Members of the borough council’s development control committee rejected the scheme in Birch Avenue, Winwick after hearing of objections from 23 nearby householders
Residents feared the extended hours would cause noise and disturbance to people living in Birch Avenue and Elm Road.
In addition there was concern over increased traffic and the possibility that the change in the type of patient attending the centre would lead to an increased
risk to local residents.
The committee was told the extended hours were required because of the change of patient from adult to young people and because of recent changes to the Mental Health Act.
The building is in two sections – a two-storey resource centre employing 40 staff and a treatment unit with 15 in-patient beds.
The Trust plan to move the adult service elsewhere in the borough which would mean the number of beds would be reduced to eight.
Overall the number of staff would be about the same – possibly less, because of the reduced number of beds.
But there would be team of nine working flexibly between 8am and 10pm daily to provide support to young people at times of high levels of need. It was anticipated there would be no more than four working outside normal hours.
Officers had recommended the scheme be approved on the grounds there would be no significant increase in traffic, noise or disturbance.
