Speaking to the Echo, the families stated Waltham Forest Council’s plan would have a “horrendous” impact on their loved ones, with some having attended the Markhouse Centre since 1984

Waltham Forest families and carers have issued a last ditch appeal to save a Walthamstow day centre for adults with special needs.

Speaking to the Echo, the families stated Waltham Forest Council’s plan would have a “horrendous” impact on their loved ones, with some having attended the Markhouse Centre since 1984.

In June, council leader Grace Williams said it was “important the council was focused on people, not around buildings”, after surveyors estimated it would cost £1.2million to restore Markhouse to an acceptable standard.

Replacing three boilers would cost around £100,000 alone, the council has stated. The last investment into the Markhouse Centre was a £500,000 refurbishment in 2016. In the years since, the lift has broken down, meaning the first floor has become inaccessible.

A consultation on the proposals ran from July to August, attracting an overwhelmingly negative reaction, with 85% of people “strongly disagreeing” with the proposals.

If the centre were to close, the council says that all 53 users would be relocated to other care providers. But families fear the alternative sites may not be of the same standard, nor meet the complex needs of their loved ones.

Others simply say they “dread” the distress that having to go to a new facility would cause their loved ones, who have each “built friendships” with other users and staff after years of going there. A final decision is expected on 3rd December.

‘It’ll be horrendous’: Read carers’ plight here

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