COUNTY council chiefs have revealed they are to invest more than £1million in care homes that could be closed as part of cost-cutting proposals.

County councillor Tony Martin, cabinet member for resources, has agreed to allocate nearly £1.3 million for essential maintenance, making sure all 48 of its homes are safe.

The move follows worries by the Health and Safety Executive over the safety of the homes. But campaigners are dismayed that the authority plans to shell out huge sums on homes that could end up closing.

"They have some justifying to do," said Andy Lee, whose mother is at one of the threatened homes, Ainsdale House, in Ainsdale Drive, Preston. "They're going to spend £1.5 million and then close them! If they are spending this because they are being forced to then surely they can find the money to bring them up to the Government standards. They've got seven years to find it."

But Coun Martin said the money is going towards keeping the homes up to date for the duration of the consultation.

He said: "Our consultation remains unaffected, but I hope this will encourage people to talk to us constructively about the balance of care we should provide in the future.

"I have said all along that we are engaged in a very real consultation with the people of Lancashire, and I am now putting my money where my mouth is to ensure that none of our homes would be forced to close prematurely because of their condition."

The public consultation lasts until June and a decision will be made in the first week of July. Actions are expected to be taken within about two years, but the remaining homes must be brought up to standard by the Government deadline of 2007.

While the consultation takes place, Citizen readers can question the man behind the proposals, county councillor Chris Cheetham.

John Williams of Blackpool Road, Preston, asked: "Why can't the £15million needed to improve the care homes affected by the proposals be raised by issuing bonds or through borrowing?"

Coun Chris Cheetham said in reply: "Local authorities are subject to strict controls by central Government over the amount they are allowed to raise by borrowing whether it be by issuing bonds or any other form of borrowing. Also the County Council does not envisage that there will be the need to provide the same number of residential places under its future commissioning strategy as it currently provides."

To question Chris Cheetham, fill in the form in The Citizen and return it to Ben Hewes, Preston and Leyland Citizen, 3 Winckley Court, Winckley Square, Preston, PR1 3JJ.

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