Uncertainty remains over future of 10 Lancashire care facilities
Decision delayed as council reviews public consultation responses
The fate of 10 elderly care facilities in Lancashire remains uncertain as the county council continues to consider their future following a public consultation launched last autumn.
Five care homes and five day centres, located across districts including Chorley, Fylde, Pendle, Rossendale, and Lancaster, were placed under review due to concerns over the condition of the buildings. The facilities have been described by the council as being in “significantly poor condition.”
Lancashire County Council leader, County Cllr Stephen Atkinson, confirmed that no savings linked to closures have been included in the draft budget for 2026/27. However, no final decision has yet been made about whether the facilities will remain open or receive investment.
A review, not a closure
The Reform UK-led administration has defended the review process and denied claims that closures were a foregone conclusion.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, County Cllr Atkinson said: “In this budget, there is no provision for making savings from closing care homes – we never said we’d close them.
“What we said we’d do is review them, because there are significant issues around safety and building structures.
“But these care homes stay open in this budget as it is – although we haven’t made a decision yet.”
Cllr Atkinson added that the review aimed to address years of neglect in maintaining the buildings. He criticised opposition politicians for alleging closures were inevitable, saying: “What the opposition did in saying that we’re going to close the care homes to save £4m and build houses on them is wrong. It has misled the public and frightened the residents.”
Opposition criticism
The delay in a final decision has sparked frustration from opposition members, who have campaigned for greater investment in the facilities.
Progressive Lancashire official opposition leader County Cllr Azhar Ali accused Reform of creating unnecessary distress for residents and staff, and called for an immediate commitment to upgrading the buildings.
Labour County Cllr Kim Snape, who has been campaigning for Grove House care home in Adlington, criticised the council’s handling of the review, saying: “For months, Reform UK councillors have allowed vulnerable residents, families and hardworking staff to live in fear and worry.”
She added: “County Cllr Atkinson’s claim that the budget plan somehow proves closure was never real is insulting – the threat was explicit, the distress was real, and the uncertainty continues. Residents need and want certainty now.”
Consultation and next steps
The review process was launched last October, and over 1,600 responses were received during the consultation period, which ended shortly before Christmas.
A final decision, originally scheduled for February 2024, has been postponed to allow for detailed analysis of the feedback. No new date has been announced for the cabinet vote.
Condition surveys for all 10 buildings have been commissioned, which are likely to play a key role in the decision-making process.
Among the facilities under review are five care homes: Favordale in Colne, Grove House in Adlington, Milbanke in Kirkham, Thornton House in Thornton Cleveleys, and Woodlands in Clayton-le-Moors.
Five day centres are also included: Byron View in Colne, Derby Centre in Ormskirk, Milbanke Day Centre in Kirkham, Teal House in Thornton Cleveleys, and Vale View in Lancaster.
Byron View and Teal House, which closed temporarily at the onset of the pandemic, remain shut nearly six years later.
Meanwhile, the block on new admissions to the care homes that had been in place during the consultation has now been lifted.