PROTESTERS have slammed Lancashire County Council's decision to delay D-Day over its care homes closure proposals for a month.

The criticism came after County Coun Chris Cheetham, in charge of social services, said a series of meetings with local councils and other groups had not taken place.

But today some opposition councillors urged the authority to delay the decision for even longer if they have to.

Instead of being announced on July 1, the final plans for the council's 48 care homes, including 35 in East Lancashire, will only be discussed on August 1.

Frank Hessey, chairman of Lancashire Care Homes Association, which represents private home owners affected by the proposals, said: "Where do I start? We are not surprised, it is something we expected. In the long run we don't know what is going to happen."

Gordon Birtwistle, Burnley's mayor said: "It is a disgrace, they are shutting the care homes by the back door. It is a war of attrition and they are gradually demoralising the both the elderly and the staff."

Tim Carter from UNISON said: "We welcome the fact that the county council seems to be taking their time about a decision.

"We believe, though, that there is only one decision -- that the care homes remain under county council control."

The county council wants to close 35 homes to concentrate resources on looking after old people in their own homes.

To bring Lancashire's care homes up to standard and fully refurbish them would cost £14.5million, money the authority says it has not got.

It has already been forced to find £1million this year just for emergency repairs after the Health and Safety Executive threatened to close the homes down.

One of the options the council is considering is handing over some of the homes to not-for-profit organisations, such as housing associations or borough councils. They are who the late discussions will be with. The deadline for the consultation with the public will still end next Friday, June 14.

Coun Cheetham said: "These meetings cannot take place any sooner and we need time to make sure we get everything right.

"I would rather wait another month and people see we have taken everything into account rather than just stick to a date set."

But Coun David Whipp, leader of the Lib Dems, said: "That means that for another month old people in those homes won't know what is happening to them.

"I would have thought an authority the size of Lancashire would have been able to stick to a deadline."

Coun Bernard Whittle, of the Conservative group, said: "The quality of the report is what is paramount here.

"If needs to be delayed even longer than August 1 to make sure everything has been studied then that is better than rushing something through."

Conservative leader Robert Hodge added: "There is nothing worse than people feeling they have not been listened to."