A NUMBER of day centres for the elderly and disabled in Okehampton look earmarked for drastic change or even closure as Devon County Council looks to make major savings due to cuts in Government funding.

The council says that across the county, a signficant fall in the numbers of people attending its day centres has led the authority to re-think how it delivers the service in future.

It could mean significant changes for the current centres at Wardhayes Care Home and Lyric House in Okehampton. The council is proposing to close Wardhayes Poppy Day Centre, and to merge the Lyric House and Puzzle Tree centres for clients with learning disabilities in Okehampton together in one building.

Puzzle Tree currently rents space at Okehampton Table Tennis Club, and proposals would probably see that service merged into the Lyric House building on North Road. The short breaks service offered by Puzzle Tree and Lyric House would close under the proposals.

However, the council has emphasised that any future changes would not reduce the services available to those who use the centres. It stressed that there would be no reduction in support to people and that everyone eligible for a service would receive it.

County councillor for the Okehampton Rural Kevin Ball said: 'Putting aside everything else for a moment, we have a huge deficit we have to meet somehow.

'We have to find £110 million over the next four years because of cuts in Government funding. Unfortunately there are tough choices ahead, and we must consider every avenue to make the necessary savings.

'We need to make it clear that no decision has yet been made. This is out to consultation with the community, to the users of our centres and their families.

'I appreciate that this is a sensitive issue, and people feel strongly about the provision of care in their area.

'I cannot stress enough that the option of closures is merely a starting point for the consultation.

'This announcement is just the start of the conversation, and the suggestions of town residents shared with us during this period will help to shape the provision of day care in Okehampton.

'It is important that everyone is engaged, especially the users of our centres and their families.

'I encourage everyone to engage with the consultation and share their thoughts with us on this difficult issue.'

The council's cabinet member responsible for adult social care, Cllr Stuart Barker, said: 'We are not reducing or cutting support to people with eligible needs.

'The question is about whether we continue providing day services in our day centres, or whether we make more use of the many excellent private and voluntary sector day services that are located near ours. With centre costs rising with fewer people attending, we must be realistic.

'We should be prepared to keep centres in places where there is demand and insufficient alternative, but where there are good private or voluntary sector-run alternatives, we should consider using them more.

'At the same time, we want to extend our services to provide a broader range of assistance to people who are not eligible for council-funded care, as well as support to those who are.

The council is proposing to reduce its 35 day centres to nine, merging six day services into three centres, and using private sector provision in place of 26 centres.

With proposals identified, the council begins consultation this week with day service users, staff and stakeholders.  Comments will help the council reach a decision in the spring.

To find out more about the proposals and to respond to the consultation, visit http://www.toughchoices.co.uk">www.toughchoices.co.uk