9 March 2016
West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has called on local entrepreneurs to step forward to register an interest in saving the Link Nurseries at Powick. The popular resource is earmarked for closure next month after local healthcare chiefs decided to remove horticultural therapy services. Despite numerous voluntary groups coming forward to investigate business opportunities, the Health and Care Trust has not been willing to allow local staff to assist interested parties. Harriett has written to the Worcestershire County Council’s health scrutiny committee to ask them to look into this issue, and has repeated her support for any venture which is able to preserve the nursery on the site of the old Powick hospital. Harriett commented: “I have worked with a number of groups which have expressed an interest at taking over the site and offering services but each has fed back that they feel that the obstacles to taking over the site are too high. “I also thank the League of Friends volunteers who have worked so hard for many years helping out, but whose efforts to preserve the service are now being frustrated. “I fundamentally believe that the site has some value as a community resource and would appeal to any interested organisation who will be able to step in at this late stage to present a fresh solution. “I also hope that the county council scrutiny committee will take a long hard look at the Trust’s actions and make sure that the path it has chosen is the best long-term solution for the Worcestershire health economy.”