THE future of Bury's threatened old folks homes will be determined by the end of the month.

Residents at two homes, Warthfield and Whittaker House, were jubilant after winning a High Court reprieve from being moved out.

The judge quashed the council's decision to close the homes, saying the consultation process was flawed.

Councillors will decide whether to press ahead with the closures when the executive meets on Wednesday September 25. They will be briefed on the outcome of the judicial review tomorrow (Wed Sept 11), although no decisions will taken at this stage.

Any future consultation will have to make it clear how people can put their views across, along with a clear timetable for responses and final decision-making.

Ms Eleni Ioannides, director of social services, said the need to reorganise services for elderly people had not gone away.

"Most old people, and the people close to them, want services tailored to their needs, and want to be supported to stay in their own homes as long as possible," she said.

"However, this is not the way our current services are designed. While other authorities have already changed their services around, in Bury we still tend to use residential care as a first option for many old people who could otherwise be supported to live more independently.

"For example, Bury supports the admission of 167 old people to residential/nursing care per 10,000 population, compared to a national average of 109. Equally, Bury only helps 72.5 people (per 1,000 population aged 65 or over) to live at home, compared to a national average of 84."

Ms Ioannides added: "It is imperative that old people in Bury get the kind of help they want and need. This will mean less need for long-term residential care and more need for home care, short-term rehabilitative care, and a greater range of supported housing options.

"We already have surplus places in residential care homes in Bury. Unless this position is rectified, care homes will operate at low levels of occupancy, leaving them vulnerable to losses and potential unplanned closures. These are the issues currently facing councillors in Bury."