The controversial plans to close Nascot Lawn were dealt another blow after new calls to contact the Secretary of State were rejected.

Labour councillors, led by West Watford county councillor Nigel Bell, had called for the leader of the council to contact the Secretary of State urgently to call for funds for Nascot Lawn to stay open. But the motion was voted down at a meeting at Hertfordshire County Council yesterday.

However the plans to shut Nascot Lawn could yet be referred to the Secretary of State, members of Hertfordshire County Council have warned.

Health bosses at the Herts Valleys Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) took the decision to withdraw funding for respite care services at the Watford facility earlier this year.

And they are currently working on a legal ‘section 75’ agreement with Hertfordshire County Council and the East and North Herts CCG to support future care at the council’s three existing respite facilities.

But on Tuesday members of Hertfordshire County Council agreed that if sufficient progress was not made by August 31, an extraordinary meeting of full council would meet to consider referring the matter to the Secretary of State.

The council’s health scrutiny committee chairman, Cllr Seamus Quilty, said: “If the CCG do not sign the the ‘section 75’ agreement I will be the first to stand here and recommend this goes to the Secretary of State – because it would be against the interests of the children.

“But if they do sign the agreement I believe we will have funding in place for children’s services to deliver what they can do best, which is for the benefit of the children.”

The plans to close Nascot Lawn – which offers respite to children with some of the most complex needs in Hertfordshire – have caused months of concern, anxiety and protest from parents and campaigners.

And staffing shortages mean only one ‘Nascot Lawn’ family is currently receiving the level of respite care they have been allocated.

A number of children have already transferred to other respite facilities. And plans are being drawn up for two extra bedrooms at the Council’s West Hyde facility, to accommodate children with the most complex needs.

After his motion was voted down, Cllr Bell said: "This is another sad day for the families who have run an inspiring campaign. Anyone who watched the Panorama programme can be in no doubt what a crushing blow this closure is to the families of these children.”

On Monday, BBC 1 broadcast Panorama following three families, including a mother from Watford whose son suffers from brain damage. Claire Bennett takes three-year-old Amari to Nascot Lawn, while she cares for her baby daughter Amelia who was born prematurely at just 24 weeks.

Watford's Labour parliamentary candidate, Chris Ostrowski said: "It's time put people first and to stand up and be counted - it's what the Nascot Lawn families deserve. Labour would fund the NHS properly and keep nurse-led respite care centres like Nascot Lawn open."

Stephen Kingdom campaigns manager at the Disabled Children’s Partnership says: “We remain utterly baffled by the county council’s decision not to refer the matter to the Secretary of State. As BBC Panorama showed on Monday, the closure of Nascot Lawn is devastating for children and their families, and we are saddened that councillors do not appear to understand the impact it will have on families.”

The CCG has always maintained that it will continue to ensure that the health needs for all children who have used Nascot Lawn are met in county council overnight short breaks services.

Earlier this month a meeting of the Council’s Health Scrutiny Committee had stepped back from immediately referring the matter to the Secretary of State.

But the committee had agreed that chair Cllr Quilty should write to the chief executive of the NHS Simon Stevens to complain about the conduct of Herts Valleys CCG.

The responses to that letter – which will be copied to the Secretary of State for Health – will be reported to full Council before November 27.