'I was absolutely horrified' - Wirral dads urge council not to sell off Heswall Day Centre

The Heswall Day Centre on Telegraph Road was one of nine facilities providing adult social care services during the day in Wirral. It shut its doors last year due to a heating failure with the building left in a dilapidated condition.

The service helped support 52 adults who have been moved to other facilities since the day centre at Heswall closed. A survey carried out by the council found it would cost a significant amount of money to refurbish and bring it back into use, something the financially-struggling authority said it can’t afford.

Now the centre is expected to be put on the market if councillors approve selling it off on June 10. It’s estimated over £500,000 will be needed to bring the building back into use and a full refurbishment could cost as much as £5.6m.

In feedback highlighted by the council in committee reports, the local authority highlighted positive feedback from parents and carers who had moved to Pensby. One person reported to the council “her son is very happy with how he has settled” while another said they were better suited to their new centre.

One person, who moves from Heswall to Eastham, “did not appear to demonstrate any distress due to the transition and in fact it was much the opposite than expected” and “appeared much calmer and content in herself.” Others had adapted well despite some challenges when they initially moved.

However both Peter Linnane and John Daby said the closure of Heswall had had a massive impact on their sons Mark and Ben arguing “you wouldn’t see that because it’s not a good news story, they do not want to hear about the negative parts.” Mark and Ben, two friends who used to see each other regularly, now go to different parts of the Wirral and no longer hang out.

Ben, who has severe learning difficulties, struggled with the move from Heswall to the Cambridge Road centre in Wallasey which also coincided with the death of his mum Judith. Ben had been at Heswall for nearly 28 years but after the closure, many of his friends went to other centres while only one member of staff moved to Wallasey.

John, his dad, said: “He was trying to come to terms with what had gone on there and then he had this happen to him too. He lost contact with nearly everyone.

“It was very unsettling for him. He cried a lot. It was that on top of his mum’s death because everything was changing. That has passed over time and he has got used to Cambridge Road because of the people who work there.

“In that sense, things have improved but he still misses some of the people from Heswall because he doesn’t see them anymore.”

Peter, whose son Mark has cerebral palsy, had lots of friends at Heswall before it closed. After finding out following the LDRS’ reporting of the sale plans, Peter said: “I was absolutely horrified. I couldn’t believe it. I know they are short of money but they waste so much money on incorrect things.”

Both parents said the council hadn’t let parents and carers know and in October 2023, they said the council had even told them Heswall would be staying for another five years. Believing the centre would be sticking around, £19,000 was raised to improve the garden in Heswall which they now feel has been wasted.

Peter said: “Why do they keep chopping and changing their minds about decisions? My understanding is the council has employed experts to review all buildings and find out which ones are valuable and Heswall is a prime site.”

He added: “It means that they are denying choices for disabled people who aren’t able to speak for themselves. They are denying them choices in the future when that facility isn’t there.

“The day centre gives them a sense of going out. It gives them a sense of purpose. I worry they will lose that.”

While staff in the day centre service were praised for their support for their sons, both dads felt there were many unanswered questions about the council’s financial decisions. Peter questioned whether closing Heswall for good would save the council money as people receiving care through the day centre might be cheaper rather than having individual social workers.

He also claimed the council had spent money following the centre’s closure including new skylights, fire doors, and a room rewired for social workers. John said they once turned up to inspect the garden to find the building’s heating was on, despite the centre closing due to heating problems.

John feels left in the dark about the council’s plans, adding: “We have lost confidence that we can take anything at face value when it comes to the cost of running the centre”. However he is not against selling the land if the money generated from the sale goes towards a better council service.

Pointing to successful fundraisers over Zoe’s Place and Spellow Library in Liverpool too, he said: “Everybody knows that the council and the government can’t afford to do everything but by involving people, it’s surprising how people can rally and help the campaign that comes after,” adding: “If you told people and allowed them to support, things can be an awful lot better. That is the message the council needs to understand.”

Wirral Council said it would not be able to comment until a decision is made by councillors.