Leeds City Council recently revealed a strategy to move a number of mental health support centres. This change is expected to save £500,000 this year. The reason the council cited for its decision was the lack of people attending the facilities. These facilities were only open two to three days a week at most. Residents have raised alarms about the new sites, especially their accessibility for people—like many of the communities who’ve been unfairly targeted by the cameras—who depend on transit.
The three hubs that are currently based in Beeston and Armley will be resited in new hubs at three other areas of the city. The center in Stocks Hill will be opening the Calverlands Complex Needs Centre in Horsforth. At the same time, the Lovell Park hub will relocate to the Wykebeck Complex Needs Centre. Further complementing this work, the new Vales Circles hub will be joining the disruptive Laurel Bank Complex Needs Centre, based in Middleton.
Local stakeholders are outraged at the new plan. They note that the new venues are out of touch with their communities. A demonstration outside Leeds Civic Hall aims to build support at home and for England’s national media for those on the move. Norman Forsyth, a 78-year-old resident who frequented the Stocks Hill centre, articulated the struggle many will face, stating, “It’s going to be two buses for some of us and for some it’s three buses.”
Forsyth isn’t the only one who places value on these hubs, “We have support workers to help, and there are peer support groups. Many users worry that the distance and complexity of travel will hinder their ability to access essential mental health services.
In a troubling trend the council found that the hubs are missing out on major investments over the last few years. Consequently, maintenance and repair costs have become astronomical. They feel forced to move services off-base to protect continuity of care as they have to operate within drastically reduced budgets.
A Leeds City Council spokeswoman sounded calm, Leeds. They promised that those seeking to access services would be provided assistance in making the transition to other sites. Unfortunately, a great number of users remain apprehensive over logistical hurdles. They fear that these barriers could sever their access to critical support networks.
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