'Department of granny evictions' Reform's care home plans spark fears in Lancashire

For Marjorie Aspden, 95, Woodlands care home in Clayton-le-Moors, Lancashire, was the perfect place to spend her twilight years.

- Raphael Boyd

When she looked out the window of her room, she saw the woods she had played in as a young girl and felt a sense of contentment.

Now she and hundreds of other residents face an uncertain future after the Reform-led council said it would consult on plans to close care homes in the area.

Last month Lancashire county council began a consultation on moving residents out of five local authority care homes and day centres into other premises. The cabinet will make a final decision on the closures in February.

“We've been delighted with the home ... we moved her there because her needs are just too great to have kept her in sheltered housing,” Marjorie's son, Phil, said. “She'd be heartbroken to be moving again.”

He added that the council had already begun to review his mother's care needs, calling this “premature if the consultation stage is still in place ... like the decision is all but made”.