'Stay out of council business' - Dudley Council leader issues warning to MPs past and present
Dudley Council's leader Patrick Harley has issued a stern message to MPs past and present who are fighting to save Sedgley's Ladies Walk health centre and library.
Mr Harley says the council will take control over the under-threat centre, whose lease is up early next year, and will sort out its future internally without intervention from outside.
His message came as a public meeting was held at All Saints Church on Wednesday night (May 21) to discuss the future of the centre, which houses Sedgley Library and Health Centre but is due to close when its lease expires next year.
It followed a protest outside of the building earlier this month organised by Dudley MP Sonia Kumar, who has also collected a 1,600-name petition against the possible closure of Ladies Walk.
She presented it to the speaker of the House of Commons this week and said she was determined to save the centre in one of two ways - by getting the lease extended on the property, or getting it taken over by The Ridgeway Surgery, whose partners had expressed interest in taking it on.
But Mr Harley, who wasn't present at the meeting, said the future of the centre would be decided by themselves without MPs past and present lobbying around it. Former Dudley North MP Marco Longhi was also a vocal supporter of the centre.
Mr Harley said: "Talks are progressing with the landlords of the building and it does no good present or past MPs gaining credit by getting involved in a campaign to save it or presenting petitions to Parliament.
"The future of Ladies Walk will be decided here within Dudley Council and any possible plan for another practice to take it over or for patients to move there would mean residents having to travel for GP appointments or joining a longer waiting list.
"Along with our healthcare partners we are committed to doing all we can to maintain library and health services in Sedgley.
“We are exploring three options and would prefer for the facilities to remain at Ladies Walk.
“Failing that, we will be looking to secure a building in Sedgley for the library to move to.
“We will continue talking to our health partners about the possibility of co-location and cooperation to this end.”
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