Houghton Regis day centre set to close with facilities moving to new leisure building

A review of the Townsend Day Centre in Portland Close has found that the building is considerably underused and outdated, according to a report to Central Bedfordshire Council’s social care, health and housing overview and scrutiny committee.

Suitable space has been identified within the new Houghton Regis community and leisure centre, which benefits from a £20m government levelling up fund grant, said the report.

It stated: “A significant decline in new referrals has been noted to the day centre. There are 32 people registered to access the services it provides, five living in Houghton Regis, nine in Dunstable, two from Leighton Buzzard and four from Luton, while 12 come from nearby villages or the surrounding area.

“Some have low level care and support needs. Others have profound and multiple learning disabilities, which require more intensive care and support.”

A 12-week consultation was held on its future, after CBC’s executive agreed in April 2017 for the need to transform day services locally.

The report explained: “The process included removing old, single-use spaces and replacing these with community-based facilities.

“A greater choice of service has emerged post-Covid depending on the individual’s care and support needs. This has meant the attendance at the centre is lower than before the pandemic. The new leisure centre is being built, and can easily accommodate more than 100 people per day.

“The Townsend Day Centre building is detached from the community and needs renovating. A condition survey of the building in 2022 estimated the capital and maintenance repairs to be £870,000 with annual direct running costs of £695,000.”

The premises has evolved over time and no longer offers employment opportunities, added the report. “People who use the service mainly attend to socialise and take part in activities, while their care and support needs are met.

“The community area used as a hub, combined with space at The Dunstable Centre, would be appropriate to meet those needs.”

Service users would have access to a changing place toilet, hoisted swimming facilities, a café, gym and outside spaces at the new location and “a new, multi-sensory room could be created delivering the latest multi-sensory experiences”.

The report added: “Under the preferred option, it’s expected the new leisure centre would open next Spring.”

CBC’s head of service MANOP (meeting the accommodation needs of older people) Tobin Stephenson: “This is our leisure colleagues providing an opportunity for people with learning disabilities the chance to access the same services as everyone else in the community.”

Independent Ampthill councillor and executive member for adult social care Mark Smith said: “Where as you could argue the users have been rather hidden from the community, this integrates them into the area.”

Liberal Democrat Houghton Regis West councillor Susan Goodchild warned: “The decommissioning of the building will need to be robust, so it’s not subject to any vandalism.”

The committee agreed to recommend to CBC’s executive to move the day service to the new local leisure centre and subsequently close Townsend Day Centre.