A scheme which lends scooters to disabled people so they can shop in Colchester could lose half its funding.

The town's Shop Mobility scheme annually receives £22,000 from Colchester Council.

But some of the council's cabinet members think the service should be financed at least partially from other sources.

Now they propose cutting their funding to £11,000 per year.

At a meeting of the cabinet held last night, Sonia Lewis (Con, Lexden), who is the council's representative on Shop Mobility, said the scheme needed more time to find other sources of finance.

But cabinet member Tim Young (Lab, St Andrews) said: "It seems Shop Mobility always wants an extra year. The situation was the same last year."

He acknowledged the hard work of Shop Mobility and said he was sympathetic, but said cutting funds would force them to start looking for other fund sources themselves.

However, John Jowers (Con, West Mersea) said: We are talking about transferring things to partnerships like the Primary Care Trust.

"I think until we have talked with the PCT, it would be foolish to let this project wither on the branch."

The council did not make a final decision on funding.

Published Tuesday, January 28, 2003

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