Cheshire East is closing a Macclesfield day centre for people with dementia and relocating the service to a nearby facility.

The Brocklehurst Centre, which provides a day service for up to 10 adults per day living with dementia, has been closed since the pandemic.

The council now plans to relocate the service to a dedicated dementia unit in the nearby Mayfield Centre, which caters for people with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and older people.

Councillors were told the Mayfield Centre has far better facilities.

There are still other options for dementia care in Macclesfield even during the relocation. (Image - Alexander Greensmith / Macclesfield Nub News)

Nichola Thompson, director of commissioning, told members of the adults and health committee on Monday: "We have done some consultation, particularly with those who are involved. We have no formal objections to the recommendations that we are making."

A report to the committee stated there were numerous benefits of relocating to Mayfield, which is about a mile away.

These include better facilities including wider corridors, accessible toilets, and bathing facilities to support those with personal care needs; it can support more people daily than the Brocklehurst Centre; and there is the ability to support people with multiple care needs on one site, including those with learning disabilities, physical disabilities, and older people as well as people with dementia.

Closing the Brocklehurst Centre would save the council £19,195 a year in building costs.

Cllr Janet Clowes (Wybunbury, Con) said: "I actually like the idea that there will be a dedicated part of the Mayfield Centre for this cohort of people."

She added: "This committee has quite recently approved all sorts of policies and strategies to ensure that actually we give a more enriched experience for people with dementia and it's not all about sitting in an institution all day, which I genuinely would not want for any of our residents."

Cllr Stewart Gardiner (Knutsford, Con) said Cheshire East has an ageing population and 'an ageing population itself will change its needs'.

"So what somebody might need at 75 is not the same as what they might need at 95. And are we confident that, by moving things forward to the Mayfield Centre, we will be able to adapt to meet the needs of all of those?" he asked.

An officer said the Mayfield Centre had specialist equipment to be able to meet the needs of people the Brocklehurst couldn't.

He added staffing also need to be considered as, if all staff were located on one site, they could be better utilised if there were issues such as short term absence.

Cllr Laura Jeuda (Lab) said she remembered when people were moved out of the Mayfield Centre 'because it wasn't felt to be appropriate for those people'.

"I do feel that we might be just doing this and then doing it again another five years' time because we've thought of something else," said the Macclesfield councillor.

She said the council also needed to think about the carers and added the attendance at the centre had dropped when the costs went up and the costs of transporting people there had increased.

"If they haven't got the money and the wherewithal to get there they won't be using it," she said.

Cllr Andrew Kolker (Dane Valley, Con) said people with dementia have very different needs.

"We need different rooms, different places for people to go to meet their needs and if the Mayfield Centre can better support that, then I'm all for it," he said.

He also stressed it was important to emphasise the council is not cutting back on day care.

"We do have a commitment to day care for both those who need it but also, as Cllr Jueda says, very much for the carers as well, to give them a break," said Cllr Kolker.

The vote to close the provision of day opportunities at the Brocklehurst Centre and relocate the service to the Mayfield Centre was unanimous.

The email for The Brocklehurst Centre has already been shut down, but they have been contacted for comment.

You can learn more about their services here, and their new location here.

There are other options for dementia care in Macclesfield, before, during and after the location.

They include Belong Macclesfield, which is a care village open to the community, residents and their family. Please click here to find more about them.

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