Bristol care home closure upheld

A decision to close a Hartcliffe care home will stand, an independent Bristol City Council panel has ruled.

Labour leader Helen Holland and councillor Jenny Smith had "called in" a decision by the ruling Liberal Democrats to close Hollybrook care home and for Bengough House in Brentry to be ruled out as a residential care home for dementia sufferers.

The call-in meant a panel had to decide whether to let the decision stand or refer the issue back to cabinet or full council.

After a two-and-a-half- hour meeting on the subject on Friday night, the panel voted to uphold the decision.

But the panel did ask for the handling of a report used in the decision-making process to be looked into by the council's overview and scrutiny management committee.

Ms Holland and Ms Smith accused cabinet councillor Bev Knott, who is in charge of the council's social services department, of withholding a report from a scrutiny commission meeting in July this year.

Mr Knott said at Friday's meeting that the report had been delayed in reaching the members of the commission, and that was "unfortunate", but he said that this was because it had not been completed in time.

The Liberal Democrats want to look more closely at converting Rockwell care home in Lawrence Weston for use by dementia sufferers in the north of the city, instead of considering Bengough.

The panel's chair, Lib Dem councillor Steve Comer, said: "This decision means that the closure of Hollybrook will go ahead and that the examination of Rockwell will go ahead."

He added: "With regards to the handling of the report, I think there was some sloppiness in how things were done."

At the meeting, the public seats at the Council House were filled with members of staff from Bristol care homes, who were represented by statements at the meeting from union representatives.

Ms Holland and Lib Dem councillor Tim Kent said during the meeting it was important the care home issue did not become a "political football".

Ms Holland and Ms Smith claimed there had been a lack of consultation with residents, their families and staff over this stage of the city's care-home shake-up.

Mr Knott responded that there had been consultation with these parties. He also said: "The delay, because of this call-in, has cost the service and the council £65,000."

It was clarified that this cost was for the four weeks between when the call-in was made and Friday's meeting. Ms Holland said this cost could have been avoided if a meeting had been arranged earlier.

Hollybrook care home is earmarked for closure by the end of October.