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Protesters dismayed by adult care centre closure

BBC Pete Welsh and his daughter AbiBBC
Abi Welsh, with her father Pete, who accused the council of not listening

Campaigners have said they are "extremely disappointed" after a council pushed ahead with plans to close an adult day care centre.

Cabinet members voted unanimously on Monday to shut the Anchorage centre in Pembroke Dock, despite protests to try to save it.

The Lee Davies day centre in Narberth and Bro Preseli day centre in Crymych will both be run as social enterprises by April 2025 under the plans.

Pete Welsh, whose daughter Abi has been going to the Anchorage centre for 14 years, accused the council of not listening to users' concerns.

He added: “I’m extremely disappointed.

"I don’t feel they have listened to us."

Mr Welsh said he feels there are "inaccuracies" in the council's report and that concerns he has put to the council have "fallen on deaf ears".

"They’re going to split up the Anchorage family," he said.

Georgina Knowles, from Templeton, said she and her daughter Sapphire, 28, who attends the Bro Preseli centre, were also disappointed by the council's plans.

"We do not want a social enterprise," she said.

"The county council have got what they want, no day centres.

"The sad thing is it won’t save them one penny. All people need care."

Protestors outside County Hall in Haverfordwest
Protestors gathered outside County Hall in Haverfordwest in July

The council's cabinet member for social care, Tessa Hodgson, said a new report shows that the Anchorage had a maintenance backlog of more than £400,000.

The local authority said it faces a funding gap of around £32m for the current financial year.

"I appreciate what a difficult, unsettling and stressful time this has been for families and loved ones, and also for our dedicated staff," said Ms Hodgson.

“I hope that, following our decision today, accepting that it’s probably not what some families were hoping for, this period of uncertainty will come to an end."

She said said everyone using the affected day centres have had a one-to-one assessments of their best alternatives .

The Anchorage centre is currently council-owned, whereas the Lee Davies and Bro Preseli centres are rented.

They will both now have seven months to transition to a social enterprise.

Ms Hodgson said this period will allow for a further period of scrutiny from public and council.