Council blames out-of-town disabled users and low numbers for axing West Bromwich Shopmobility centre

The council, which has included the proposed closure in next year's budget, also pointed to low numbers of disabled people borrowing mobility scooters from the West Bromwich Shopmobility.

Numbers of users have not recovered from the pandemic with the council claiming around 20 people use the service each of the four days, recently reduced from six, it is open.

However, more than 300 people signed a petition to keep the service open within a week of users being told its days were numbered.

Under the "Close Shopmobility" proposal in the budget the cutting of the service will save £53,000 this year and £106,000 each of the next three years as the cash-strapped authority try and balance the books after funding cuts from central Government.

A Sandwell Council statement given the Express & Star, said: "As a council we face significant financial pressures as a result of rising demand for our services at the same time as our costs are going up.

"We have up to now been providing a heavily subsidised service with a significant number of customers who aren’t Sandwell residents. Membership numbers have not recovered following the pandemic and the average number of service users is less than 20 on each of the days the centre is open."

“Sandwell, like other councils, has faced the significant financial pressures of the pandemic, cuts to funding and the cumulative impact of inflation over recent years."

The council statement added: “We will always make decisions in the interests of our residents, and sometimes those decisions are difficult ones. Unfortunately, we've had to look where savings can be made and closing the Shopmobility service, which is a subsidised service used mainly by people who live outside the borough, would make a significant contribution to the £12million+ recurring savings the council needs to make each year.”

The draft budget for 2024/25, including the saving proposals were approved by Cabinet last week and will be put to Full Council on Tuesday.

If approved the closure is likely to be in August and the council will work with current service users to signpost them to a suitable alternative provision.

Ray Nock, from the Reform Party, is campaigning to keep the service open.

He said: "It is heartbreaking hear disabled people describing their life without Shopmobility as being prisoners in their own home. This is chump change but yet they are paying millions to pedestrianise everywhere."