Crunch meeting over Wetherby care home closure plans

Thousands of residents in and around Boston Spa, in Wetherby, have backed the Save Primrose Hill Care Home group’s bid to keep the facility open by signing petitions and many are now set to voice their views at a meeting at Boston Spa Village Hall tonight.

The subject is on the agenda of Boston Spa Parish Council’s annual general meeting, where two officers from Leeds City Council’s adult social care department are set to speak and answer questions on the closure plans from 7.30pm.

Consultation with affected residents and families about the plans to close six care homes and four day centres for the elderly will end on June 3 before a decision is made later in the year.

Campaigner David Morton, whose father-in-law Arthur Ellis, 96, lives at the Boston Spa home, said: “There is a real strength of feeling on this plan to close Primrose Hill and 100 per cent opposition to it, so this is an opportunity for people to turn up in their numbers and show the council their feelings.

Many of the care home residents are over 90 and are going to be turfed out of their home – they are frightened and scared.”

Other residential homes earmarked for closure are Amberton Court, in Gipton, Burley Willows, in Burley, Fairview, in Seacroft, Manorfield House, in Horsforth, and Musgrave Court, in Pudsey.

Campaigners have started similar groups in Pudsey and Burley to fight the closure proposals.

The proposal is to transfer residents to other homes, or community-based organisations, while Suffolk Court, in Yeadon, is to be developed into a specialist intermediate care unit and Home Lea House, in Rothwell, transferred to the community.

A council spokeswoman said: “It’s important to stress that we are still in a consultation period and no decisions have been taken about the future of any of the homes.”