Buckinghamshire Council’s plan to make millions of pounds by selling off centres for disabled adults ‘would ruin lives’, families have warned.

The authority has announced plans to sell or repurpose its day centres in Buckingham, Burnham, Hillcrest in High Wycombe and Seeleys House in Beaconsfield, which also offers overnight respite.

The plan would generate savings of around £740,000 a year and capital receipts of an estimated £2.14 to £6.77 million, according to the council, which is hosting an online consultation on the plans until January 31, 2025.

If it goes ahead with plans, the council says it will invest further in its other sites, Aylesbury Opportunity Centre, the Spring Valley Day Centre in High Wycombe and the Chesham Short Breaks Centre, in order to provide its ‘short breaks’ service for people with complex needs and disabilities and their families.

The council is trying to push through its plans with the argument that there has been a 61 per cent decline in attendance at the centres since 2020, with only 128 people now accessing the short breaks service.

However, the families of users say there are people waiting to use the centres who cannot and that the council ‘wants the sites to fail’ so it can sell them off.

The families gathered outside Seeleys this week to speak to the Bucks Free Press and called on the council to abandon its proposals.

Sandra Meller’s 29-year-old son Ethan has been using the overnight respite service at Seeleys for 11 years and he particularly enjoys listening to music and watching people cook.

She said: “When he comes to respite here, we are able to relax. We know he is happy and very well cared for and that gives us chance to live. If we didn’t have respite, we wouldn’t be able to live.”

Ethan can stay at the centre overnight 60 times a year and also attends Monday to Friday in the day to take part in activities, receive physiotherapy, use the garden and benefit from the specialist on-site equipment.

For the time being, Sandra and her husband do not want to consider private residential care for their son and are happy sending him to Seeleys, which is rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission.

She said: “Without the proper, good quality respite care somewhere we can trust, our lives would be ruined to be quite honest. We won’t be able to go out as a couple. We are both retired so it is essential we both make use of our free time.”

Another family who benefit from Seeleys is Anita Davis and her son Sam, who has used the overnight respite for nearly 20 years and also uses the day centre.

She said: “Sam absolutely loves coming. It is his happy place. Staff are amazing. They are highly skilled and trained. They can certainly meet his needs. He gets really excited coming here.”

Sam also receives physiotherapy at the centre and staff are ‘very aware’ of changing the 36-year-old’s position, which Anita says is ‘really important’.

Sandra added: “The council keep looking at assets they can sell off, well the staff are one of the biggest assets. And once those staff are gone, that is a big loss, and they don’t seem to realise that.”

Asked what will happen if the council closes Seeleys, Anita said: “It is a life changer for us. It really is. It will completely change our lives. There will be nothing left in the south of the county.”

Anita and other families dispute the council’s claims that there is a lack of demand for the sites it wants to sell off, including Seeleys, saying the centre is underutilised and it ‘could be promoted in a better way’.

Rowena Reed’s 31-year-old son Michael has complex needs, which she says are very well met by Seeleys.

She said: “The care is phenomenal. They pick up the phone if there is a problem. I know he is safe.”

Michael is a self-propelling wheelchair user and is able to get around the wider Seeleys site, which is level and has ramps.

The site’s wider grounds include a big garden, a greenhouse, a seating area and even special swings for people who use wheelchairs or have reduced mobility.

Anita stressed that as well as the users, the day centres and overnight respite are also vital for their families.

She said: “I get one weekend in six. And without this, I get no time to go away or with my husband. There is no time to spend with your partner.

“The bottom line is this is a ‘good’ rated service. They have worked hard for it. Why would you want to get rid of it to save money?”