UNISON and opposition parties welcome Reform-led Lancashire County Council U-turn on care home closures
Opposition parties have welcomed Lancashire County Council’s U-turn over the potential closure of a Colne care home.
The ruling Reform group on the county council announced that it plans to invest in five facilities, inlcuding Favordale in Colne, which were placed under review back in October after they were found to be in “significantly poor condition”.
Although leaders have stressed that the investment plan is not yet a formal decision of the authority itself, the new stance seems to have lifted the question mark that has hung over the home.
Coun. David Whipp, the Liberal Democrat leader of Pendle Borough Council, who had been fighting the potential closures, welcomed the decision but said the situation had been handled terribly by Reform.
He said: “I'm delighted that Reform have bowed to public pressure, are doing a U-turn and keeping care homes open.
“Residents, families and care staff haven't had any notification from the county council, and there's no official decision yet. The way they've handled this has been terrible.
“Putting people through the wringer like this is just wrong. We now need to recover from this mistake and make positive plans for the future.”
Meanwhile, the union UNISON has also welcomed the U-turn after it too launched a campaign to keep the care homes open.
The union is now urging the local authority to also give a reprieve to five day centres under review – which include Byron View in Colne.
UNISON regional organiser James Rupa said: “This looks like welcome news and a victory for care home residents, their families and staff.
“The county council should now do the right thing and safeguard the future of the five days centres also under review and make a commitment to keep all the care facilities under public control.
“It’s disappointing that, instead of accepting responsibility and admitting they got things wrong, Reform councillors are trying to shift blame onto those who opposed the closures.
“The plan to close these homes has only been halted because local residents and staff stood up and made their opposition clear. The only apology needed now is from Reform.”