Disgusted cries of "you should be ashamed" greeted the council’s decision this week to merge the borough’s community and social services into a rebranded Longmead Centre.

Surrey Comet:

The Wells Centre offers restaurant and cafe services, exercise, yoga and tai chi classes, and play groups among other community activities

Epsom and Ewell Borough Council’s Residents’ Association (RA) group voted in favour of moving services from the Wells Centre in Spa Drive, Epsom to the Longmead Centre in Sefton Road during a full council meeting on Tuesday, December 8.

The new so-called Epsom Centre would undergo a £70,000 refurbishment and rebranding as a Centre of Excellence.

RA councillors claimed Conservative austerity and a subsequent need to make savings guided their hand in consolidating services.

The council’s six present Conservative and Labour councillors voted against the proposal, and tabled a motion - which was ultimately defeated - to defer the decision until after further public consultation.

Play groups and meetings of the over-55s club will continue at the Wells Centre until the future of the building has been decided.

Council officers will now explore the possibilities of selling the site to a developer, or raising enough money for housing development.

Surrey Comet:

Members of the over-55s club at the Wells Centre started a petition to save the centre last month

Chairman of the strategy and resources committee, Councillor Neil Dallen said amalgamating services was the best way to make savings after a shortfall in funding from central Government of about £2.5million by 2019/20.

He said: "We have always intended to continue to have a community facility available for local residents.

"There will be no loss of services."

But residents were furious at the decision after more than 750 people signed a petition to save the centre.

Barry Murton of The Greenway, Epsom said: "Why was our petition ignored? This was not a good night for democracy."

Conservative Councillor Tina Mountain believes moving services from the Wells Centre would make residents even more isolated.

She asked: "How can this political party call themselves the Residents’ Association when they don't care about their residents wishes?"

Labour Councillor of Court Ward, Vince Romagnuolo said Wells Estate residents would feel betrayed by a lack of consultation.

Surrey Comet:


The Wells Centre is home to the Wells Pre-school, a Unisex Hairdresser, Friends of the Wells community group, Alzheimer’s Singing for the Brain, and many other community groups and services

Conservative Councillor Alexander Clarke told the council that the number of visitors to the centre in 2014/15 was up 14 per cent from 2013/14.

He said: "It is thriving and we’re closing it down.

"We need to cut our coat with the cloth we have, but we have to listen to our residents."

RA Councillor Michael Arthur reminded outraged members of the public gallery that consultation would continue as the council decided how to dispose of the Wells Centre.

He said: "This is one of many issues that are going to be looked at in order to achieve these savings.

"There may be some unpleasant effects to follow."

Surrey Comet:

Karan Persand launched a petition to save the centre which has been signed more than 750 times

Surrey County Councillor for Epsom West, Karan Persand’s petition to save the Wells Centre can still be signed at: http://www.ipetitions.com/petition/save-epsom-wells-centre