City gives go-ahead to care homes closures

Councillors backed a report which recommends the closure of two homes, Spring Gardens at Otley and Knowle Manor at Morley, but only when new private residential care homes can be built in the towns.

Locals fought strong campaigns for the homes to remain open.

The first homes to close are likely to be Westholme at Wortley, Kirkland House in Yeadon and Grange Court, Garforth.

Dolphin Manor in Rothwell could remain open if it is transferred to a community interest company, but this is dependent on a business case passing council scrutiny.

If the figures to keep it going don’t add up, it will close when a new private sector alternative is built in the area.

Several day centres will also close.

The council is struggling to make £90m of budget savings and says it can no longer afford to run the homes.

The future of the eight remaining council-owned residential homes will be decided by a further review.

The authority says that council homes have high running and maintenance costs and the money needed to upgrade them is not available.

Leaders have argued that Leeds has a strong independent sector which continues to develop homes with better specifications and high standards of care.