A heated meeting went late into the night discussing the last two care homes owned by Peterborough City Council.
A report recommending the closure of Greenwood House, in South Parade, Netherton, and Welland House, in Poplar Avenue, Dogsthorpe, went to the Scrutiny Commission for Health Issues last night (Thursday).
Despite campaigners turning out in force and several speaking up at the meeting, the group of councillors voted in favour of the proposal.
The specially-called meeting also made a number of recommendations to the cabinet which will make a final decision on Monday about the closure of the homes.
Cllr Brian Rush, who chairs the committee, had to step to one side at previous meetings because he had family in one of the homes.
But they have now left and last night he voted in favour of shutting them.
He said: “It was a heated topic and I can understand why relatives and staff have great passion for the homes.
“When I read the report I saw the buildings are not up to the Care Quality Commission standards. That, and the number of people in the homes and available spaces in the private sector are why I voted in favour of closure.”
The commission made seven recommendations to the cabinet including the closure of the homes and moving residents to alternative accommodation.
There should be no loss of access to day, respite or interim care for service users and permanent solutions should be provided before the homes are shut. This includes a new dementia resource centre which the council may commission.
In addition, the scrutiny commission called on the cabinet to regularly check the residents’ new accommodation and that some staff remain employed for a period after the closure to help move the residents safely.
It also recommends that lessons learned in the 90-day consultation become established practice and the cabinet member for adult social care, cllr Wayne Fitzgerald, should report back to the commission on the progress in March next year.
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