Councillor sorry for hold-up over care home job

8:39am Friday 9th May 2008

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A CHESHIRE county councillor has apologised for the delay in development of a care centre in Winsford.

Clr Tony Hooton has said sorry because work on the Elmhurst Care Centre in Roehurst Lane that has been on the cards for seven years has not yet started.

At present, contractors are on the site and about to start to convert the building into an intermediate centre for older people who need care after a period of illness but are not fit enough to return home.

Clr Hooton said: "This has been a long drawn-out saga which has caused distress to the residents there and I would like to apologise to them. Because I'm the county councillor for the area, for another 12 months at least, and I have taken a lot of flack for the area, I hope that this is the end of it."

The care home has a history of trouble getting funding for its redevelopment.

In 2000 a national charity said that it had the money to do up the care home but it did not. About 12 months later Dane Housing were interested in putting money into the project but decided that it was not financially viable and pulled out.

In August last year arsonists attacked the building, starting a blaze that damaged the roof. It had to be made safe by engineers the day after.

The Elmhurst Care Centre closed in 2001. When rebuilding work is completed it will be able to provide 32 places for elderly people.