Bridgnorth councillors welcome planned changes to youth, early help and day care services
Plans for existing youth, early help and day care services to be co-located in a purpose-built new facility at Innage Lane in Bridgnorth have been welcomed by the town’s four Shropshire councillors.
At their meeting this week (Monday 16 December 2019) Shropshire Council’s Cabinet approved proposals to develop the youth centre site to cater for future youth, adult and other complementary services.
Currently the youth/early help service and the adult day care service operate at separate locations at Innage Lane, approximately 500 metres apart.
Subject to the ongoing service user consultation the day service would relocate to a new potential integrated community resource base, which would be shared with the youth and early help service and other groups.
The proposals also offer the opportunity to deliver supported living accommodation at both the youth centre site and potentially at the current day services site, as well as providing additional general needs housing in Bridgnorth – allowing adults with a learning disability to live in their own accommodation, with their own tenancy with the appropriate support.
Once plans to develop the two sites have been made – and subject to making satisfactory provision for current day service uses in alternative accommodation – a further report will be considered by Cabinet.
Councillors Elliott Lynch, Christian Lea, William Parr and Les Winwood.
In a joint statement, the four Shropshire Councillors for Bridgnorth – Elliott Lynch, Christian Lea, William Parr and Les Winwood – welcomed the plans for Innage Lane. They said:
“We’re really pleased with the proposals to develop the youth centre site and are very excited about the plans for the youth service, day care service and other services to be jointly located in one purpose-build facility. These are all really important services for the town and we’re all very optimistic about these plans for their future delivery. This is really good news for the people of Bridgnorth and the surrounding area, and we all have much to look forward to.”
Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s Cabinet member for assets, economic growth and regeneration, said:
“This is really good news for Bridgnorth. Shropshire has a good track record developed over a number of years of supporting people with a learning disability to live in their local communities. The potential development of the existing youth centre site provides the opportunity for the retention of youth, early help and adult day services on the site through the development of an integrated day service facility.”
To see the Cabinet report, click here.
Further information
The present Bridgnorth Youth Centre site is located on Innage Lane. The site comprises a 1970s purpose built youth centre building together with adjoining amenity area extending to an overall site area of 0.331 ha (0.82 acres).
Supported living accommodation provides social inclusion, independence as far as possible for the individual and is consistent with the aspirations and expectations of Adults with Learning Disabilities to live as normal life as possible within their local communities.
Shropshire has continued to reduce the number of adults with learning disabilities living in residential accommodation whilst at the same time increasing the number of people placed in supported living accommodation.
