'There's nowhere for our daughter to go'

That was the view of Mary Merifield as Durham County Council voted to close Dean Lodge respite care centre yesterday.

Mrs Merifield’s daughter, Sarah, 31, who is severely disabled, has been visiting the Ferryhill facility for ten years.

Her mother told councillors at Durham’s County Hall: “Only Dean Lodge has ever been able to manage her.

“Where else is she going to go? There’s nowhere else. I only manage through respite care.”

Despite her pleas, and those of other Dean Lodge families, the council’s cabinet unanimously agreed to shut the centre to save £510,000.

Afterwards, Mrs Merifield, of Trimdon Grange, said: “It stinks. I’m disgusted.”

June Hall, of Peterlee, whose severely disabled daughter Lisa, 38, has used Dean Lodge for two years, said: “It is the best place she has ever been for respite care.

“This is all about money.

Durham County Council was one of the foremost councils for supporting people with learning disabilities.

“Now they are going backwards.”

William Atkinson, of Willington, whose daughter, Kelly Marie, 33, has been visiting Dean Lodge for five years, said: “Dean Lodge is our only By Mark Tallentire Local Government Correspondent mark.tallentire@nne.co.uk support. We need it to keep Kelly Marie at home with us. I am disgusted that a Labour council would do something like this to the most vulnerable people in society.”

Council chiefs acknowledge Dean Lodge was extremely popular, but said usage had fallen in the past five years and could soon drop to under half.

Care at Dean Lodge, which opened in 1999 and has seven rooms, costs about £1,730 per person per week – more than in the private sector or at council-run Hawthorn House, in Newton Hall, which will remain open.

Hawthorn House is newer, bigger, better equipped and its use is increasing.

Rachael Shimmin, the council’s director of adults, wellbeing and health, said closing Dean Lodge would not mean services were reduced, because the authority will continue to pay for respite care elsewhere.

Council leader Simon Henig: “The times we are living in are leading to extremely difficult decisions such as this. This is the sharp end of those decisions that are being made at a national level.”

No date for closing Dean Lodge has been announced.