We need Reform to back down and keep our well-used, much-valued day care centre open
Fylde MP Andrew Snowden has warned that Milbanke Day Centre in Kirkham remains under threat after Lancashire County Council admitted that no decision has been made about its future.
The admission from the Reform-led County Council came in a written response to the MP following a letter which was also signed by Kirkham Town Council and hundreds of local residents.
The County Council has confirmed that while plans to close Milbanke Care Home have been dropped, the future of the associated Day Centre will not be decided until at least this autumn.
Mr Snowden said: “Let’s be absolutely clear, the Day Centre is not safe. The Council has confirmed to me in writing that no decision has been made, and that means months more uncertainty for families, staff and residents.
“They have backed down on closing the care home after public pressure, but now they are staying silent on the Day Centre and kicking the decision down the road.”
Lancashire County Council has said it will review consultation feedback in May, with a final decision not expected until later in the year, raising concerns across Kirkham that the issue is being delayed rather than resolved.
Mr Snowden added: “This is a well-used, much-valued service that supports local families every single day. For many people, it provides vital care, routine and social contact, as well as respite for those looking after loved ones.
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“Dragging this out until Autumn only prolongs the worry about what the County Council are planning. People in Kirkham deserve clarity now, not months of uncertainty.”
Kirkham town councillor Adam Brierley says the community would not let the issue drift.
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“We’ve already seen what happens when the community speaks with one voice, Reform backed down and Milbanke Care Home was saved,” he said.
“But the Day Centre is still under threat, and people are rightly concerned. It plays a huge role in supporting local families and cannot be treated as an afterthought.
“We need a clear commitment that it will stay open, and we will keep pushing until that happens.”