CAMPAIGNERS fighting to save the Stanley Centre in Knutsford are being urged to take part in a survey.

Cheshire East Council is asking for views about day opportunities services for people with disabilities.

This provision helps people with a variety of care and support needs such as learning disabilities, autism and physical disabilities.

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The council is considering proposals to close the Stanley Centre, to save £229,000.

This proposal forms part of a medium-term financial strategy and reflects the redesign of day opportunities set out in the Day Opportunities Strategy 2022-27.

The council has pledged to meet people who use the service, carers and staff before any decision is made.

Campaigner Charlotte Peters-Rock has pleaded with councillors to re-think their plans, describing the proposed closure as tantamount to ‘disability discrimination’.

The Knutsford campaigner said: “Where wrongs are done against the learning and other disabled, it becomes disability discrimination to deprive them of their settled existence, their friends and their outings to work.”

During consultation, the council said users and their carers highlighted a need to redesign day care from a predominantly traditional, ‘building-based’ provision to include a more community-based approach.

Helen Charlesworth-May, executive director for adults, health and integration said: “The services currently provided from the Stanley Centre have been valued by the community in Knutsford for a number of years.

“However, there has been a significant reduction in the number of people now accessing those services.

“Feedback through our day opportunities consultation in 2022 showed that, in many cases, people agree that we need to move away from services based in physical buildings to other approaches focused around the needs of individuals in their communities.

“It is important to say that while this proposal is included in the council’s budget, no decision about the future of the Stanley Centre has been made and we want to hear people’s views before finalising our plans.

“We are publishing a consultation survey today for people to provide their views on day opportunities in Knutsford. “Alongside this survey we will be meeting with people who use the current services, carers and staff before any decision is made.”

To have a say visit surveys.cheshireeast.gov.uk/s/KnutsfordDayOpportunities/ An easy read version of the survey is available at surveys.cheshireeast.gov.uk/s/ERKnustfordDayOpps/ The survey is open until 5pm on June 6, 2023.

Anyone wishing to receive the questionnaire in an alternative format or submit their response in a different way can email the research and consultation team RandC@cheshireeast.gov.uk.

If you do not have email, call customer services on 0300 123 55 00 who will send the response on your behalf.