THREE care homes could win a temporary stay of execution after councillors pleaded for a fresh review of plans to close them.

Members of Pendle Council want a feasibility study to be conducted into the possibility of three homes set for the chop being managed by people other than the county council.

They believe a not-for-profit trust could be set up to look after Wheatley Court, Pendle Brook and Walverdene homes, with organisations such as the borough council and housing associations involved in the management.

County Coun Chris Cheetham, in charge of social services, was today due to outline his plans for the county's 48 care homes. His recommendation to the full council will be that 16 homes close and another 16 be considered for use for other OAP care.

But he said he not made his mind up whether to keep the Pendle homes out of the proposals until a feasibility study had been carried out.

He said: "These homes will not close overnight so it may be that a feasibility study could be carried out even if the Pendle homes are included in my recommendations. Things can change in the future.

"We have said all along we will talk to people where we can."

Two homes in Pendle -- Cravenside and Favordale -- have been spared the axe under the proposals made by Coun Cheetham. Full council meets on September 26 to discuss the plans.

Pendle councillors said they wanted to explore the possibility of establishing a not-for-profit trust.

Coun Azhar Ali, leader of Pendle Council, led a cross-party delegation of borough councillors, including Frank Clifford, David Whalley, John David, Dorothy Lord, Tony Beckett and Sheila Derwent, when they met Coun Cheetham, Joe Slater, assistant director of social services and Peter Shorrock, district manager.

Coun Ali said: "Pendle Council has from day one stood firm against the county council's proposals to close care homes in our borough. The initiative to set up a not-for-profit trust or similar scheme has finally been taken seriously by the county council.

"We are pleased that the county council will at least go away and discuss the option of deferring a decision regarding the care homes in Pendle, pending a detailed study on alternative ways that these could be managed.

"However, there are no guarantees that they will ultimately agree to the deferment but at least we are still in with a chance. Nevertheless, we feel it is a positive step and one that we welcome from the county council at this late stage.

"There are many different models of not-for-profit charitable trusts across the country and we believe there is an opportunity for Pendle Council and the county council to work up a proposal either with an existing trust locally or create a new structure to manage and retain care home places for what clearly is an expanding ageing elderly population."

Ian Broughton, the council's housing and community services manager, said that research suggested that there would be about 20,000 people aged 65 plus in living in Pendle in 2020 and these predictions should be considered in any decisions taken on the closure of the borough's care homes.

Coun Frank Clifford said: "We took Chris Cheetham on his word and we would hope that on September 26 there will be a resolve that after detailed discussions with councillors and officers in Pendle there are opportunities to pursue that might bring about a different solution.

"While others would go ahead and close, we would not go ahead with closures in Pendle until other ideas have been looked at.

"There are opportunities to look at such trusts as the Peter Birtwistle Trust in Colne and we think a locally controlled not-for-profit trust would be the way forward."

However, Coun Ian Ormerod, leader of Hyndburn Council, said: "I would be amazed if Coun Cheetham does agree to take out one borough and push ahead with closures everywhere else. It would effectively pitch one authority against all the others.

"If he is going to allow one authority extra time, he should do it for us all."