Liberal Democrat councillor Linda Pailing writes:

The last-minute change of mind by Harlow's Conservative-led council over the future of the advice centre offers a glimmer of hope for local residents. But serious concerns still remain about the council's plans.

There will be more money for advice services than the Conservatives originally proposed. But even so, the service will be operating on less than one-third of its previous grant. This will be a serious cut in the level of help available, just as demand is increasing as a result of the credit crunch.

There is also no guarantee that the council will award the contract for specialist advice services to Harlow Welfare Rights - or to any other external supplier. If the contract is not awarded, the Conservatives say the council will run a limited advice service itself from within Contact Harlow. How will that be able to offer independent advice in cases where people's problems are with council departments such as housing or benefits?

There is no certainty of the amount of money to be granted to the Citizens' Advice Bureau to enable it to continue to offer general advice. A council officer, in consultation only with two Conservative councillors, will negotiate and agree a one-year-only deal with the CAB. And the CAB may no longer be able to rely on the benefits, such as out-of-hours reception desking, and cleaning costs, that it has enjoyed from working in the same building as Harlow Welfare Rights.

The only reason the Conservatives have been forced to come forward at the eleventh hour to agree any of these modest improvements, was the overturning of their original plans by the High Court, and an unprecedented backlash from service users, residents, and opposition councillors.

Left to their own devices, the Conservatives would be prepared to see the Advice Centre close and vulnerable residents left without help. That is the message that local people will take away from this whole sorry story.