Campaigners relieved after disabilities hub saved

A hub that teaches skills to adults with learning disabilities and autism will not close down, the local council has confirmed.

Peterborough City Council had proposed withdrawing funding from the Industrial Hub to save £500,000 a year from its day opportunities budget.

But this week, Labour councillor Shabina Qayyum said continuing to fund the service was the "right thing to do".

Julie Cyngier, whose son Richard attends the hub, said the announcement was "amazing news".

The council proposed cutting the funding for the hub in its 2025-26 budget, and in April, it said a public consultation would be held.

More than 2,000 people have signed a petition opposed to its closure.

Ms Cyngier said: "Richard can't believe it; that the hub has been saved.

"The last six weeks have been unbelievably upsetting."

Last week, Qayyum said the decision to close the hub had been "taken off the table for now".

Campaigner Hayleigh Janceski said this statement was "ambiguous".

But following the councillor's latest news, Ms Janceski said: "It is a broken hallelujah but right now we are grateful.

"She has listened to our concerns and came out firmly to say the closure is off the table.

"The problem now is that there have been massive failings that have happened.

"The detrimental effect on our well-being has been far and wide and we need to make sure that is acknowledged."

Qayyum, who is the cabinet member for public health and adult social care, said council officers would "engage with service users to see how [the hub] can be further developed"

"I realise the distress this has caused to those who have used the hub and their families. But it needed to be rectified," she said.

"This was a collaborative effort from me and my cabinet team, the council leader Dennis Jones who listened to my concerns and both the [local] MPs who backed my decision and agreed to keep the hub open."

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