CONSERVATIVE leader, Councillor Peter Callow, has condemned Blackpool Borough Council after the postponement of a meeting to discuss the proposed closure of the eight care homes until after the Illuminations switch-on.

Coun Callow said that it has been done to stop the Caring Alliance for Rest home Elderly (CARE) staging a silent protest during the celebrations in Talbot Square on September 1 if the home closures do go ahead.

A social services committee meeting was scheduled to take place on August 30, and was to hear the council's final decision regarding the proposed home closures, but it has been postponed until September 6.

Coun Callow said he found out about the change by accident. He said: "I haven't been consulted about the meeting being postponed and neither have the public, which is a disgusting state of affairs -- both groups have been treated shabbily."

David Maude, assistant chief executive of Blackpool Borough Council, said: "This is not the case at all. The closing date for consultations is this Friday (August 25) and because of huge public interest we wanted to make sure that the report we pass to the committee is as full and inclusive as possible.

"With the bank holiday Monday next week, we realised there was little time to put the report together properly. The moving of the date of the meeting to September 6 was discussed at a meeting CARE had with George Bancroft last week."