COST-CUTTING is being blamed for the closure of a Penzance centre for people with learning disabilities.
The Old Dairy will shut its doors at the end of September after Cornwall Council decided to end its lease.
It said its decision was due to a lack of flexibility and range of services at the venue, along with the need to provide the best value for money.
"I think this is terrible," said Anton Oats, 48, one of those who uses the Old Dairy on Belgravia Street.
Mr Oats, who has learning difficulties, visits the venue regularly where he works in the café and also performs music.
"We want to do something about this and need the town to get behind us and keep it open," he said.
The Old Dairy opened in December 2010 as an art gallery, tea room and community room to provide training and volunteering opportunities for people with learning disabilities. Run by the community and support service at Cornwall Council, there were also ambitious aims for it to become the national hub for artists with learning disabilities.
Less than three years later it is closing, the landlord is selling up and its services will move to the John Daniel Centre at Heamoor.
Rob Simmons, a newly elected Penzance town councillor, visited the Old Dairy last week.
"I like the scheme and think it's good that there's somewhere in town for people with learning disabilities to go where they can interact with the community rather than being stuck out in Heamoor," he said.
"I wanted to know how everyone felt about the closure and they were all pretty dejected.
"They were upset because they really enjoyed having it there in town."
Dr Tehmina Goskar, who contacted The Cornishman about the closure, said: "I live on Belgravia Street, which has a great community feel, and we very much felt that the Old Dairy was part of that.
"It will be sad to see that go."
Bernard Allen, senior manager for communications and customer relations in Cornwall Council's adult care, health and wellbeing department, said: "While the Old Dairy helped to support some people, it couldn't provide enough flexibility or a wide enough range of services. This limited other people's options and opportunities. There has been significant investment in the nearby day service at the John Daniel Centre, with new facilities both inside and outside the building.
"This is the main provision in the area and resources will transfer from the Old Dairy back to the centre, to increase the activities and opportunities that are available there.
"As the community and support service across the whole of Cornwall continues to develop, we need to keep checking that we are investing our resources where we get best value for money."
He said that the Cornwall Rural Community Council was due to begin consulting local groups about ways in which the John Daniel Centre could be involved with or support more community groups and activities, both at the centre and within the local area.
