MP demands answers over decision to close Birmingham day centres

May 15 2009 by Alison Dayani, Birmingham Mail

A BIRMINGHAM MP is putting the city council on the spot over the “astonishingly short space of time” it took to make its controversial decision to close two day centres.

The local authority announced on Monday that the learning difficulties centres at Collingwood, in West Heath, and Aldridge Road, in Erdington, would both close.

Now Richard Burden, Labour MP for Northfield, who has campaigned to save facilities at Collingwood, is demanding answers from social services chief, Coun Sue Anderson.

He said he planned to dissect the decision process by the adults and communities team responsible for deciding the fate of Collingwood and Aldridge Road day centres. And he demanded paperwork documenting the decisions be sent to his offices.

The details he demanded included a summary of all the responses made during the public consultation, the department’s views on the responses, all the information that was sent to the council’s cabinet, plus details on when the final proposals were drawn up, by whom and when Coun Anderson received and approved them.

The MP also expressed anger he was not contacted with the decision before it was made public.

“I was told the cabinet had decided to proceed with the closure of Collingwood and Aldridge Road centres and I am very angry about this,” said Mr Burden.

“I am particularly angry as I have yet to receive any response on the issue regarding the manner that the city council approached the consultation.”

He added that taking two weeks to make this important decision seemed “an astonishingly short space of time for all the responses received to be analysed, further information sought and options formulated”.

A Birmingham City Council spokeswoman said a thorough public consultation was carried out with all views taken into consideration.