Hull Care Home Protest Outside Guildhall

Hull: Residents from a closure-threatened care home are set to protest against the plans outside the Guildhall.

The city council’s cabinet meets on Monday to consider proposals to close the flood-damaged Rokeby House residential care home and resource centre in Rokeby Avenue, west Hull.

The complex was left under 1ft of water after the June 25 floods and council officials say repairing the building could cost at least £250,000.

The council’s ruling Liberal Democrat group is backing the idea of developing a new £2m 25-place facility on the site in conjunction with an independent care provider.

But opposition Labour councillors are calling for the council to refurbish and retain the existing centre, where 15 elderly residents are still living in first-floor accommodation.

Labour councillor Mary Glew said: “A similar care home in Grimsby was flooded at the same time but the council there have worked in double-quick time to repair and reopen it inside three months.

“The contrast to what has happened here could not be greater.

“The Liberal Democrats have done nothing and it’s an indictment of how uncaring this administration really is.”

At this week’s full council meeting, Labour councillors accused the Lib Dems of using the floods as an excuse to revive previous budget proposals to close two adult residential care homes.

But Lib Dem leader Councillor Carl Minns accused Labour of hypocrisy over the issue, pointing out that the Government was currently encouraging councils to team up with external partners to develop new care facilities for the elderly.

“The cabinet wants to spend £5m to put a new 25-bed facility on the Rokeby site and another 40-bed facility on the Holden Centre site,” he said.

“Rather than have modern new facilities, Labour wants to patch up and make do.”