Councillor admits to nerves over decision to sell off four Wirral care homes after Southern Cross crisis

Jul 26 2011 By Lorna Hughes

A LABOUR Councillor has admitted feeling “nervous” about a council decision to sell off four care homes at the centre of a political dispute.

Wirral Council’s cabinet agreed on Thursday that Pensall, Poulton House and Fernleigh should be put up for auction, while Age UK Wirral will be allowed to buy Meadowcroft.

But Cllr Adrian Jones, cabinet member for  corporate resources, questioned whether the sale should be delayed because of the financial crisis which has hit care firm Southern Cross.

He told the meeting: “Given the fragile state of Southern Cross, are we confident we want to proceed quite as quickly or do we want to hang on a little bit longer?

“I have to say I’m a little bit nervous about this in view of the fact that we don’t know what the next few months are going to bring up.”

The homes were at the centre of a legal bid to overturn the council’s plans to close them earlier this year.

Labour decided to sell off the homes, which the previous administration closed in March, after regaining control of the council in May’s local election.

While in opposition, Labour had put forward an amendment specifically calling on the Conservative and Lib-Dem-controlled council to keep Mapleholme open and postpone the  closure of Pensall, Poulton, Meadowcroft and Fernleigh “for at least six months” to ensure  alternative services were in place and allow  consultation.

At the time, Labour leader Steve Foulkes described it as “a matter of conscience”.

A report to the cabinet recommended 20-bed  Mapleholme on Beckwith Street, Birkenhead, 38- bed Poulton House, at Winterhey Road, Wallasey and a four-bed residential home at  Manor Road, Wallasey should “be declared surplus and, if not required by partner organisations, sold by auction”.

The cabinet was also asked to allow Meadowcroft, in Bromborough, to be sold to Age Concern Wirral.

Cllr Foulkes told the meeting: “It’s rather said that we are moving out of public sector provision of much of this care.

“At one point it did look very precarious for Southern Cross. There was this vision of people having to move so these could be used as an emergency back-up in the short term.

“It’s difficult but given the level of savings needed in just that department (adult social services) alone, we have to make best use of the assets we have.”

He added: “The fragility of Southern Cross makes you worry about whether we are going to be held to ransom over this in the future.”

The Conservatives accused Labour of “hypocrisy” over the decision.