Reform councillors say they will not close Lancashire care homes | Reform UK
Reform councilors say they will not close a group of care homes in Lancashire following months of public outcry.
Members of Lancashire county council, whose party won 52 out of 84 seats in the May 2025 local elections, announced earlier this week that homes planned for closure will receive investment instead. A protest in Preston on Saturday attracted hundreds of people.
Favordale in Colne, Grove House in Adlington, Milbanke in Kirkham, Thornton House in Thornton-Cleveleys and Woodlands in Clayton-le-Moors were scheduled to close. In November, families of Woodlands residents told the Guardian they were stunned by the council’s decision to close a home that had meant so much to their loved ones. The son of a resident called the planned closure “cruel, especially from a party that claims to respect people who contribute to society.”
Mark Clifford, leader of the council’s Labor group and shadow cabinet member for adult social care, praised the work of those fighting against the council’s plans, saying the decision was “a disgrace” for Reform but a win for residents and their families.
“This is a huge win because the public have spoken out and this has been a very, very shameful U-turn for Reform. We welcome that, but we certainly do not welcome the way the public and the residents of these facilities have been treated and treated throughout this consultation.”
Clifford also said that Reform was trying to rewrite history by stating that they never intended to close homes; Reform councilor Graham Dalton, cabinet member for adult social care, echoed the claim on BBC Radio Lancashire.
“There seems to be a well-constructed narrative that these nursing homes should be closed,” Dalton said Tuesday. “You can go back to cabinet meetings, you can look at our social media – there was no mention of lockdowns. Just a review.”
The council has published its plans for the autumn closure of homes, along with a closure timeline, before starting the consultation process.
Labor MP for Lancaster and Wyre Cat Smith described the announcement as “chaotic”, raising questions about where the new investment in care homes would come from and what form it would take. “The reform needs to bring some clarity to its announcements as soon as possible,” he told Beyond Radio, adding that “this level of confusion and frustration for vulnerable older adults, their families and staff is unacceptable.”
Reform said despite councilors’ announcement, the decision has not yet been officially made and consultations to determine the fate of care homes and five-day care centers in the area will not be concluded until March.
A council spokesman said: “The council has not made any decisions at this stage. Now that the consultations have concluded, officers are analyzing all feedback and preparing a full report to cabinet in the spring, where councilors will review the findings before making any formal decisions.”
