New Jubilee storm

5:46pm Thursday 27th March 2008

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THE local Tories are trying to shift the blame and responsibility for the closure of the Jubilee Centre, a Labour district councillor has claimed.

According to Roma Mills the Conservatives, who blame St Albans District Council for the loss of the day centre, only have themselves to blame.

Roma said: "Just to put the record straight, the eight Conservative county councillors who are members of the cabinet at County Hall voted to cease providing a day service for disabled people at the Jubilee Centre.

"Whilst it may be convenient to try to transfer responsibility for this rotten decision to the district council - it is completely misleading. Given the huge local support to retain the day service at the Jubilee, it's no surprise that the local Tories are trying to distance themselves from this decision and blame someone else."

Teresa Heritage, Tory district council leader, said: "It was the decision of the county council to close the Jubilee Centre; however such decision would not have been taken lightly and would have been based on several factors, one of these would have been the condition of the Jubilee Centre.

"The Jubilee Centre is owned by the district council. It fails to meet the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act.

"If the district council had spent some money on the venue, for all I know the county council may have continued its services there."