You can keep night warden for £12 a month (From Echo)

You can keep night warden for £12 a month

4:00pm Thursday 2nd February 2012 in Basildon By Emma Palmer

PEOPLE power has triumphed in Basildon after elderly residents and their families won their battle to keep overnight wardens at their sheltered housing complex.

Even though they will have to pay about £12 a month themselves to save the service, residents of Afflets Court say they are thrilled with the result.

The 60-flat complex in Moat Field, was about to lose its 24/7 warden care due to the council needing to slash £500,000 from the borough’s sheltered housing budget.

But Audrey Michaelson, whose poorly father, Brian Collins, 86, lives at Afflets Court, mounted a 300-name petition against the plans, which led to a heated meeting last month between council chiefs and residents.

Audrey, 59, explained: “At the meeting we had a show of hands to ask if anyone would be prepared to pay to retain the service. Nobody wanted these wardens to go!

“Everyone agreed and the council said it would look into letting us do this. We finally heard back yesterday that we can keep them.”

Audrey, of Landermere, Basildon, added: “Everyone is breathing a sigh of relief.

“My dad is really pleased. He was having sleepless nights – a lot of the residents were – and now he can sleep soundly again.

“It’s going to cost £3.13 a week, but the residents here would rather pay that than lose their wardens.”

Residents and their families were left reeling when they were told by the council the wardens were due to be axed this April.

It would have meant the pensioners would be fending for themselves from 8pm until 8am every night as well as at at weekends.

They would be forced to rely on the Careline telephone service for support if they needed assistance.

Karen Butler, sheltered housing manager for Basildon Council, added: “We have listened to our residents and acted on their feedback.

“With a reduction in funding difficult decisions have to be made, but we are committed to finding innovative solutions such as this.

“I’d like to thank them for their co-operation during this consultation process. I am delighted a way forward has been found.”