Users of a specialist respite service facing the axe in Macclesfield say they are ready to ‘wage war’ to keep it open.

Central and Eastern Cheshire Primary Care Trust (CECPCT) is proposing to close Riseley Street respite unit, which offers temporary care to people with learning disabilities, to save £245,000 a year.

As reported in the Express last week, more than 20 families currently depend upon it for respite care.

Adrian and Vera Coupar, of Brocklehurst Avenue, Macclesfield, have been able to take short, regular breaks for more than 20 years by sending their son Michael, 43, to the centre.

They have been left devastated by news of the planned closure and fear Michael, who has cerebral palsy and is partially-sighted, would struggle to cope if he was transferred to alternative facilities in Winsford more than 20 miles away.

"It is totally out of order to shut it," said Mr Coupar, 66, a retired BMW delivery driver.

"They are going to try to bulldoze this through, but I will wage war against them if they do.

"It is like a little family down there. The staff are all heroes.

"Michael cannot express his own views and if you disrupt his day to day routine, he doesn’t like it. Hopefully we will fight this on a united front."

He said a lot of those using the service were aged from 40 to 60, which meant their parents were elderly and also set in their ways.

"They totally rely on Riseley Street," he added.

CECPCT – which wants to cut £1.4m from its mental health, learning disability, drug and alcohol treatment budget – is also proposing to close Macclesfield’s Willows Day Centre, which offers educational and social skills training.

Both are run by Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust (CWP).

David Rutley MP said: "Mr Coupar raises some real concerns for patients who use these facilities.

"I am disappointed to hear that patients have not been fully communicated with and weren’t aware of the timescale, and I will follow this up with the primary care trust and the CWP."

Sir Nick Winterton, president of learning disabilities charity the Rossendale Trust, said: "This causes me great concern. There are other ways of saving money rather than removing facilities critical to a group of people among the most vulnerable in our society."

Users of both services have been told they will be formally consulted from next month.

In a joint statement, Sheena Cumiskey, CWP chief executive, and Clare Powell, CECPCT director of service development and commissioning, said: "The proposed plans in relation to The Willows and Riseley Street are still being discussed and no decisions on service change will be taken without full stakeholder and staff consultation.

"The outcome of the consultation will go back to CWP and CECPCT boards later in the year."

The newsdesk would like to speak to any other users of these services. Please call us on 01625 424445.