I am writing to express my great surprise at the council's proposed closure of the Michael Flanders Centre in Acton.

The Albert Dane Centre and the Carlton Road Centre could share the same fate.

Many people have expressed real concern at the potential loss of such essential facilities.

These centres not only provide respite care for people in the community who are disabled but they also give support to their loved ones who care for them.

This enables the carers to go to work in order to maintain their disabled relatives and, also, those who are disabled are able to remain living in their own homes without creating a need for the state to care for them at a greater expense.

Thus the humanitarian and economic logic of the current provision is obviously sound.

Ealing Council is proposing to close three of the four centres and only provide a small part of the current facilities at an enlarged David Cousins Centre in Greenford.

Also, the geographical spread of the current provision will shrink to one location on the boundary of this large borough.

Ealing Council seeks to resolve its own overspend in the Social Services department by axing this essential service.

Many of us can think of other areas such as new, and arguably, more peripheral provisions that should be cut instead.

As an architect, I can say that the Michael Flanders Centre is one of the best purpose-designed centres for their specific needs.

It pre-dates and surpasses more modern equivalents.

As a therapist working in the community, I have delivered a course at the Michael Flanders Centre giving support to carers of disabled people.

Having delivered a talk to Age Concern, at which Clive Soley MP was present, I know that there is a real need that will not be met in the future and that should be of the utmost concern to us all.

Colin Brock

Cantley Road

Hanwell