Anger follows vote to close care home in cost-saving move, Teesdale Mercury

A COUNCIL-run care home will close – despite more than 1,200 objections and public protests.

East Green in West Auckland will be among seven of Durham County Council’s 12 care homes to shut.

 It follows a controversial decision by top councillors last week.

At a highly charged cabinet meeting attended by protestors, members of the Labour cabinet agreed it would be cheaper for taxpayers to close the homes and place the residents in private care. According to a council report, four of the 16 residents at East Green said they would happily move.

Another four said they would move reluctantly while six people said the thought of going to a new home made them “unhappy, devastated and feel terrible”.

The report also said the majority of carers and families also opposed closure, with 1,200 people signing a petition in favour of keeping East Green open.

The council said the home, which has 37 beds, was only a little more than half full between May last year and this April – a drop from 84.3 per cent in 2003/04.

Council leader Simon Henig said by allowing the 105 current residents to stay in the seven homes, it would cost taxpayers an extra £2m a year  – compared to paying for them to live in private homes.

Cllr Henig said taxpayers would have to fork out £35m to bring the home up to standard over the next 10 years. 

He said: “We have 65,000 residents over the age of 70 in the county and the council has a responsibility for to all of them.

There are more than 100 private care homes in County Durham many of which have a large number of empty beds. 

“We are behind other councils in closing care homes, eight of the 11 councils in the North East have closed all council-run care homes.”

 The council’s report said a week’s stay in East Green cost an average of £864. The highest rate in the independent sector was  £481, the council said. The council added that there were 14 arguments that supported the closure, including cost and low demand, while there were five factors for keeping the homes open.

These included the outrage of residents, families and staff, and the risk of a legal challenge. Members of the cabinet admitted it was a difficult and “highly emotive” decision but one that had to be made.

Following the meeting, furious families of residents described the closures as “despicable”, “uncaring” and “diabolical”.

They claimed the decision to close had been made months ago. Opposition councillors said the Labour group had been told to support the closures during a party gathering in Murton last month. Liberal Independent councillor for Crook North Patricia Jopling said the decision was “shameful” and “undemocratic”.

She said: “As one of the 126 council members I am aggrieved to not have been allowed my democratic right to vote on this issue.

“The county council has wanted to close these homes since 2000.

“They have chosen not to invest in these homes so they would have to close and have been steering elderly people away from them to make it seem as if they are underused.

“The Labour group had an away day in Murton last month where they were told to support the closures. I know several Labour members who spoke out and were called up to see the party whip.”

Cllr Jopling also criticised Joe Armstrong, the chairman of the council’s scrutiny committee, who said committee members had been generally in support of the closure.

Cllr Armstrong also said the committee found the consultation to be thorough and “engaged the right people”. But Cllr Jopling said: “His report doesn’t demonstrate what was said at the committee meeting. Many members did not agree with home closure but that did not come across in his report.”

Cllr Henig said his cabinet members had the ability to make up their own minds and triggered an outcry from the public benches when he said: “It is debatable here who has the open minds.”

Cllr Henig quickly clarified, however, that he was referring to other councillors not members of the public,

A Durham County Council spokesperson said the decision could be reviewed if the council’s overview and scrutiny committee, a cross-

party group, decided to take that action through the “call-in” process. No date has yet been set for closure of East Green.