A stroke survivor has branded the prospect of closing the café where he feels safest as “nonsense".

Norrie Provan admitted he is “very upset” at West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership (HSPC) plans to close the Pavilion Café in Levengrove Park in a bid to save £90,000 as part of a raft of anticipated budget cuts.

Eighty-nine-year-old Norrie and his wife Euna travel from Clydebank to the cafe three or four times a week for food and drink from the much-loved facility and accused the local authority of “mismanaging” the café as the reason for it not operating as a booming business.

And he explained should the Pavillion Café be closed, it would be a big loss to the whole community.

He said: “The café is a vital part of the park and a vital part of the community.

“I have been down there when it is blowing a hoolie and there are still plenty of people there.

“It is nonsense they are closing it.”

Before adding: “I feel safe in Levengrove Park.

“I love sitting on the bench and in the rose garden, my wife and I can park right next to the café because of my disabled badge.

“The staff are lovely, and the food is wonderful.

“We end up chatting to other café users and that is what I need as I often feel isolated because of my stroke.”

Norrie has problems with his vision and hearing following his stroke but looks forward to every visit to the bistro, so he can chat with other customers, watch the dogs playing in the park and get a sense of the community spirit around.

But he feels the quality has been slowly eroding, with the menu extensively cut down, home baking not available due to no flour, cutlery and plates being replaced with paper and plastic even if you are sitting in and the card machine always being broken.

The Pavilion Café currently has a mix of seven employees and 11 volunteers who work within it.

The report on the decision states that volunteers will be helped to find alternative placements while the staff will also be aided to get matched to a suitable vacancy.

A spokesperson for West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership said: “This is one of the proposals which will be considered at a meeting of the West Dunbartonshire Health and Social Care Partnership Board on Tuesday 20 February.

“No decision will be taken in advance of that meeting.”

It is understood that in the event the HSPC agree to close the café, the council will take steps to secure a new tenant.

But it will likely be another big loss for the area as the full council budget meeting approaches on March 6, with further cuts likely to be approved.