Fury as Harborne Day Centre artwork dumped in skip weeks before its controversial closure

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Birmingham City Council has been branded “shambolic” after it admitted to “regrettable” actions at Harborne Day Centre.

There was a furious reaction last week when artwork at the centre was dumped in a skip weeks before its closure.

Harborne is one of four adult social care day centres that cabinet members at the cash-strapped council agreed to close under controversial plans last year.

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'Save Harborne Day Centre' campaigners next to the skip where artwork had been dumped'Save Harborne Day Centre' campaigners next to the skip where artwork had been dumped
'Save Harborne Day Centre' campaigners next to the skip where artwork had been dumped | James Cross/LDRS

The centres provide support and opportunities to make friends and gain new skills for those with learning and physical disabilities, autism and dementia.

But it was claimed recently that artwork and signs had already been taken from Harborne Day Centre and thrown away despite the space still being used and weeks away from closure.

Pictures, shared on social media, appeared to show a welcome sign inside a skip near the centre and walls allegedly stripped of art.

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The Labour-run council faced further backlash after it issued an apologetic statement last Friday, saying it was never the authority’s intention to upset users of Harborne Day Centre.

“It is regrettable that steps were taken to remove artwork and some furnishings at this stage in the process of assimilating users into new centres,” it said. “We apologise for any distress caused to those still visiting the centre while their support packages are transferred to a new one.

“We can appreciate how upsetting these changes to the environment will have been and we are reflecting on the impact of these actions and listening to service users to ensure we do better going forward in this process.”

James Cross, who has a family member who uses Harborne, was among those who condemned the council following the apology, describing its actions as “shameful and shambolic”.

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Protesters outside Harborne Day Centre as they tried to save it from closureProtesters outside Harborne Day Centre as they tried to save it from closure
Protesters outside Harborne Day Centre as they tried to save it from closure | James Cross/LDRS

“A sorry isn’t good enough,” he said on X, formerly Twitter. “The process was meant to be dealt with in a caring and sensitive way – this is the opposite.”

“I’m sick to death of our city council apologising,” one Brummie wrote. “You all ought to be utterly ashamed of yourselves.”

Conservative councillor Matt Bennett responded: “It wouldn’t have taken much thought to realise how distressing this would be but the council went ahead and did it anyway.”

However, the situation has also prompted a response from Birmingham politicians who met with campaigner James Cross on Friday.

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Labour MPs Al Carns (Selly Oak), Preet Gill (Edgbaston) and Laurence Turner (Northfield) attended the meeting at the day centre, as did the council’s cabinet member for transformation Rob Pocock.

Ms Gill said the meeting was “constructive” and described Harborne Day Centre as a lifeline for carers and those who rely on its services.

“We had a very constructive discussion about future options for the site,” Coun Pocock added. “My thanks to the MPs and campaigners who took part and engaged over these possibilities. We can take this further.”

Services at the closing centres are set to move to the five remaining day centres in Birmingham, which the council said could take place in March this year.

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On the closure of the adult day centres, Coun Pocock said last year: “We need to save on costs and the remaining centres need to be fully utilised. Citizens using our centres have said they want to have a wider variety of activities outside the day centres and this is what we are also developing, as part of a more modern 21st century service”.

He said the package as a whole meant anyone wanting to use a council day centre would still be able to and that no staff were being made redundant.

Several issues have contributed to the financial turmoil at the council according to external auditors, including the alleged equal pay liability, inadequate budget setting, poor service management, demand led pressures and the disastrous implementation of a new IT and finance system.

Numerous Labour councillors have also been keen to point out the impact of funding cuts over the past decade or so.

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