The ongoing need to reduce total spend means the already difficult and sometimes misunderstood task of de-commissioning will be taking place in virtually all localities, writes Ayesha Janjua.

In the recent past, many councils have been guilty of poor decommissioning; sometimes by cutting too hard, sometimes by cutting too fast. The result is something that was expected to be a money-saving exercise ended up costing more in the long run. Take, for example, the 2011 ruling against Birmingham City Council which was found to have acted unlawfully after it cut care provision for its disabled citizens.