Fight goes on over privatisation of Place Court
Wednesday, 28th March 2012.
Haverhill Town Councillors are claiming moves to privatise Place Court residential care home are undemocratic and could be unlawful.
Members agreed at last night's town council meeting to write to Suffolk County Council challenging its decision to outsource its care homes, and particularly Place Court.
Members fear if the home goes into the private sector - and a tendering process on Place Court is believed to be nearing completion - standards of care will fall.
They agreed to send a letter which accuses the county council of failing to take account of the concerns of town residents.
A petition against the outsourcing of Place Court was signed by over 4,000 Haverhill residents but has been virtually ignored by the county council.
Haverhill town mayor Cllr Maureen Byrne said the strength of feeling in the town meant the town council was obliged to carry on the fight.
Members had asked the new chief executive of the county council Deborah Cadman to come and talk to them about the issue but she refused.
She said it would not be appropriate while commercial negotiations were going on, but she would come and talk to them after these were over.
Members felt by then it would be too late, and many members felt the county council had had made up its mind on what it was going to do from the outset, even before the public consultation.
Cllr Gary Stroud said: "It had already been decided. They wouldn't listen to alternatives, they wouldn't listen to 4,000 signatures and they wouldn't listen to argued debate. They have never even acknowledged the 4,000 signatures."
Cllr Byrne said the council had never even bothered to count the signatures until they were required to by the town council.
She also complained that none of Haverhill's three county councillors had told them anything about what was going on.
One of them, Cllr Phillip French, is also a town counillor and was at the meeting, and he confirmed he had been against the outsourcing of Place Court from the beginning. When it came to the vote at county council, he had abstained.
He also said county Cllr Tim Marks was happy to attend a town council meeting and explain what was happening, which Cllr Byrne welcomed.
In their letter, town councillors will say they feel alternative strategies were not adequately addressed before the decision to offer a contract for bidders.
Members agreed at last night's town council meeting to write to Suffolk County Council challenging its decision to outsource its care homes, and particularly Place Court.
Members fear if the home goes into the private sector - and a tendering process on Place Court is believed to be nearing completion - standards of care will fall.
They agreed to send a letter which accuses the county council of failing to take account of the concerns of town residents.
A petition against the outsourcing of Place Court was signed by over 4,000 Haverhill residents but has been virtually ignored by the county council.
Haverhill town mayor Cllr Maureen Byrne said the strength of feeling in the town meant the town council was obliged to carry on the fight.
Members had asked the new chief executive of the county council Deborah Cadman to come and talk to them about the issue but she refused.
She said it would not be appropriate while commercial negotiations were going on, but she would come and talk to them after these were over.
Members felt by then it would be too late, and many members felt the county council had had made up its mind on what it was going to do from the outset, even before the public consultation.
Cllr Gary Stroud said: "It had already been decided. They wouldn't listen to alternatives, they wouldn't listen to 4,000 signatures and they wouldn't listen to argued debate. They have never even acknowledged the 4,000 signatures."
Cllr Byrne said the council had never even bothered to count the signatures until they were required to by the town council.
She also complained that none of Haverhill's three county councillors had told them anything about what was going on.
One of them, Cllr Phillip French, is also a town counillor and was at the meeting, and he confirmed he had been against the outsourcing of Place Court from the beginning. When it came to the vote at county council, he had abstained.
He also said county Cllr Tim Marks was happy to attend a town council meeting and explain what was happening, which Cllr Byrne welcomed.
In their letter, town councillors will say they feel alternative strategies were not adequately addressed before the decision to offer a contract for bidders.
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