Pembroke Dock’s Anchorage Day Centre will close next month, after a final decision was backed by senior councillors.

A successful ‘call-in’ at an extraordinary meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s social care overview and scrutiny committee asking for a decision to be referred back to Cabinet for further discussion on the social enterprise model, was supported by fellow group members recently, but at a special meeting on Thursday, October 3 cabinet members backed the recommendation to close the Anchorage Day Centre with effect from November 1 and establish social enterprise models in Bro Preseli and Lee Davies Day Centres from April 1 of next year.

The November 1 Anchorage closure was backed along with wider changes in the service; establishing social enterprise models in Crymych’s Bro Preseli and Narberth’s Lee Davies Centre with effect from April 1 of next year.

The anchorage building is council owned while the other two are not.

A report at the special Cabinet meeting held on Thursday, October 3, wsa presented by Cllr Tessa Hodgson, Cabinet Member for Social Care and Safeguarding.

Members heard the anchorage day centre needed a new ceiling, roof, fire doors and electrics, which would cost some £500,000 to completely refurbish, or £295,000 to bring it up to standard to remain open for two years before the South Quay development was ready, with fears that rate could be even higher.

The council will be exiting service level agreements with the Bro Preseli Day Centre in Crymych and the Lee Davies Day Centre in Narberth and as one of many alternatives, will be working in partnership to promote social enterprise alternatives. Work is now underway to establish a suitable pilot which will see further strengthening of links between PCC and the Third Sector.

Cllr Hodgson, who moved the recommendation, later said: “We have and will continue to balance the needs of people attending day centres and their families with the requirement for change, and we will continue to support all affected as we go through this process.

“We have worked hard to identify alternative and suitable provision for all service users and am pleased that despite financial pressures, we are able to maintain a direct bus service from the Anchorage premises to Meadowpark.

“I wish to emphasise that no-one will be left without provision following the decision here today and we will continue to work closely with everyone to ensure positive outcomes for all.”