Expert Lawyers At Irwin Mitchell Notify Manchester City Council Of Potential Legal Challenge

Public law experts have notified Manchester City Council of plans to launch a legal challenge of the decision to close the Brian Hore Unit, a facility in West Didsbury, Manchester that offers abstinence-based treatment for people with alcohol and mental health problems.

The unit is due to close on 31 March 2016 and those who use the facility were informed in January 2016.

The proposed closure of the unit was announced after the award of a contract to a new combined drug and alcohol service in Manchester to Crime Reduction Initiatives (CRI).  Concerns have been raised that the organisation does not intend to continue services at the Brian Hore Unit, or provide the services at an alternative location.

Specialist public law solicitors at Irwin Mitchell have been instructed by one individual who uses the Brian Hore Unit to investigate the consultation process Manchester City Council undertook before reaching the decision.

Mathieu Culverhouse, a public law expert at Irwin Mitchell’s Manchester office, said:

Expert Opinion

“We believe the consultation process undertaken by the local council focused on redesigning drug and alcohol services in Manchester and did not indicate changes would result in the closure of the Brian Hore Unit. The users of services at the unit appear not to have been consulted.

“We have now written to Manchester City Council to outline our concerns with the way the decision to close the unit was taken, as well as outlining our plans to take steps to issue judicial review proceedings to challenge the decision.” Mathieu Culverhouse - Partner

Seamus Quinn, chairman of the Friends of the Brian Hore Unit, said: “Manchester City Council’s commissioners and CRI appear to have ignored the people who use the service, the crucial role the unit plays in the city and the help and support it provides to individuals struggling with alcohol and mental health problems in the area.

“We believe that closing the Brian Hore Unit will unnecessarily put lives at risk as there is still no clear strategy for the future of the services provided to vulnerable people at the facility.”