Proposals will close Cranwood residential home in Muswell Hill and mental health unit in Alexandra Road axed

THE first raft of cuts to local government will see 15 care homes, drop-in clubs and day centres for the elderly, disabled and vulnerable closed.

Only one member of the Liberal Democrat opposition turned up and offered no question or criticism of the proposals put forward by the Labour council and agreed at Tuesday’s meeting.

The Labour group had plenty of criticism for the government, though, after the national budget left them with an �85million shortfall.

The proposals, agreed by the Labour cabinet – who said they were “absolutely opposed” to the cuts – will see drop-in centres in Abyssian Court and Willoughby Road in Crouch End threatened, Cranwood Residential Home in Muswell Hill closed and a crisis mental health unit in Alexandra Road axed.

Crouch End’s Haynes Centre for older people with physical disabilities will merge with two Tottenham centres which are set to close and �10,000 of funding for the Jackson’s Lane lunch club will be withdrawn.

There will be staff redundancies in libraries as well as “at least 1,000” further job cuts.

For more detailed coverage of the cuts and reaction, see this week’s Ham&High Broadway paper - in shops now.