PLANS to cut day care services for the elderly and those with special needs should now be scrapped, a councillor has said, after Dorset County Council was awarded the highest grant increase for any council in Britain.

Cllr David Milsted, county councillor for Gillingham, said the 26.29 per cent settlement from central government over three years was in contrast to the national figure of four percent.

"This means that Dorset County Council will have £4 million more than it thought it would have," Cllr Milsted said.

"This means, to my mind, that DCC is now obliged to scrap its plans for day centre closures as there is now no possible financial justification for them."

He pointed out that Dorset Fire Authority had, by contrast, been given a settlement of one per cent next year.

Cllr Milsted added: "The day centre closure plan is allegedly to save £600,000. It does not take into account five extra efficiency officers which are new posts being created.

"By closing day centres they will also have to bus people to the day centres which are still open."

Dorset County Council is considering closing and merging a number of day centres including Rawson Court in Gillingham and Swanage.

People with learning disabilities in Blandford could be offered a bus journey to day centres in Sturminster Newton and Verwood.

Cabinet members in December heard that despite the increase by 11.8 per cent of the provisional government grant settlement for 2008-09, Dorset receives £44 million less than the average shire county.

Cllr David Crowhurst, cabinet member for adult and community services, said the review of day centres was part of a wider package.

"It's not just about saving money. We are finding there is significant under-use of day centres, one down to 42 per cent of capacity," he said.

"This proposal is to ensure that we are spending money more efficiently.

"If we can release £600,000 by this proposal it will enable us to release money for other areas of adult social care."

Mr Crowhurst said everyone who needed a place would have one as near to their home as possible.