A ward councillor is outraged that family planning services at Shipley Health Centre are to be cut by three-quarters.

Health chiefs made the decision to shut the weekly clinic last month, citing limited resources and the need to provide more services in Bradford city centre as the reason.

But, after a barrage of criticism, it was decided to review the situation and from January, sessions will be reduced from one a week to one a month.

Coun Phil Thornton, (Lab, Shipley East) said: "Shipley East has a very high number of young single parents and a large number of families and other people who rely on this service.

"The alternative clinics in Manningham and Eccleshill will make it almost impossible for young families to access the service, particularly when public transport links are so poor.

"Unlike other areas, Shipley East has a substantial higher than average amount of families who do not have access to a car and therefore would either have to struggle with the existing transport facilities or walk."

Coun Thornton has written to the chief executive of Bradford Community Health Trust registering his complaints and urging a re-think on the decision.

The trust's general services manager, Liz Anderlin, said one reason for the decision was so more sessions could be laid on at CASH point - a family planning clinic on Saturday mornings at the Young People's Information Shop on Broadway, Bradford.

She said: "We wanted to put on extra sessions at CASH point because research shows that young people would rather go there than use their GPs. The only way to do this was to close somewhere else.

"We chose Shipley because there are a large amount of GPs in that area who provide family planning services.

"We are currently talking about setting up a young people's service in Shipley in addition to the existing clinic, which caters for all ages."

The Trust was still managing to lay on extra sessions at CASH point on Wednesdays between 6 and 8pm, she added.

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