Judge grants permission to seek JR over closure of centre for autistic children

A High Court judge has granted campaigners permission to seek judicial review of a council's decision to close a centre for autistic children.

A hearing will take place next month (6 October) in the case, which involves the Crawford Avenue short break unit in Wembley. The unit cares for children with severe learning and behavioural difficulties.

The London Borough of Brent's Executive decided in May this year to shut down Crawford Avenue and transfer the 67 children who use the centre to a residential unit in Brondesbury (Clement Close).

All residential short breaks were to be provided from Clement Close from 1 October 2011, but this has been put on hold until the High Court hearing.

The closure of Crawford Avenue was expected to save Brent £327,000 next year. Both Crawford Avenue and Clement Close were in any event set to be replaced in 2012 by a new short breaks unit planned for The Village School.

A spokesman for Brent told Local Government Lawyer: “Although the council is disappointed by the court’s decision to grant permission to seek a judicial review, we will robustly defend the claim. Crawford Avenue will stay open with the same level of service until that hearing.”

The group behind the legal action believe the Brondesbury unit is not adapted for the needs of autistic children as it currently meets the needs of children with physical disabilities.

Fitzroy Lee, whose daughter Kamaria, 17, has been going to Crawford Avenue for a decade, told the Willesden & Brent Times: “If this centre closes there will be no respite centre for autistic children in the borough. This cost-cutting exercise will affect the most vulnerable.”

He added: “When my daughter goes to Crawford she gets to use the specialist sensory equipment. She goes there every Friday after school. Autistic children don’t like their routine to be disrupted. The new centre will not be able to cater for children with challenging behaviour.”

Philip Hoult