THE plan by Lancashire County Council to close 35 of its 48 old people's homes has reached the attention of the Prime Minister today.

While diplomatically pointing out that it is for the council - rather than central government- to make its own decisions on how money is allocated locally on social services Tony Blair has chosen to highlight that the council has a "real terms increase" of six per cent to spend.

The council has claimed that the planned homes closure, including 19 in East Lancashire, has been spurred on by the need to find £14.5million to improve remaining care homes to meet new standards.

While stressing that Lancashire County Council has the benefit of "very substantial extra resources" for social services he has also made clear that they should think carefully about what they are doing and its effect on the community.

Fellow Labour MPs Peter Pike and Greg Pope say that, reading between the lines, they believe he is asking Lancashire County Council to look again at the closure plans.

County Council leader Hazel Harding meanwhile, somewhat puzzlingly says she has been able to "get beyond the politicians and speak to the people who are most affected."

"When we explain what we are doing they are happier," she adds.

The largest postbag this newspaper has had for some years on a single issue and the hundreds of people who turned out to march in protest at the closure plans point in a very different direction - to widespread opposition to the plans.

On Monday Coun Harding is seeing Social Care Minister Jacqui Smith in London to discuss the matter.

Let us hope commonsense prevails and this meeting leads to a recognition that the public, district councillors and East Lancashire's Labour MPs are right when they say that these plans should be withdrawn.