JUST two weeks remain for service users to have their say on the potential closure of a ‘vital’ respite centre on Hayling Island.
It comes as Hampshire County Council gears up to conclude its public consultation into the 13-bedroom Orchard Close site in Westfield Avenue.
The venue offers short seaside breaks for adults with physical and learning difficulties in a ‘hotel-like’
environment, but it could be axed as the county council searches for ways to make savings of £140m-a-year.Speaking to The News, 58-year-old Joanne Port from Havant previously described the centre as a ‘lifeline’ to her family – especially her 25-year-old son Daniel – whom she cares for full-time.
Fears surrounding its potential closure follow a £1m cut to the county council’s short breaks scheme – and if it is shut just 24 beds for its target demographic will remain across the whole of Hampshire.
To take the consultation visit tinyurl.com/ycdvsttd