Potential sites for a new £7.2m care home in Barrow have been revealed

Cumbria County Council announced in January its plans to close four existing Barrow care homes and replace them with a new state-of-the-art facility.

The proposal would spell the closure of Bevan House, in Stackwood Avenue; West Point House, in Solway Drive, Walney; George Basterfield House in Risedale Road and Rock Lea in Abbey Road, which have a combined total of 132 beds. Combe House in Walney, which has 40 beds, will stay open.

At a public meeting held at Dalton Cricket Club, 12 councillors and residents heard how the council’s proposed new development, one of the first of its kind to specialise in dementia, would have a total of 60 beds.

The council will also invest £300,000 every year to provide 28 beds at an extra care housing unit in Holker Street, which is currently being built.

Mark Hastings, manager for adult social care provision at Cumbria County Council, told the meeting: “The existing four homes we propose to close are not fit for purpose. Out of the 33 homes owned by the council there are only two with decent size bedrooms, Combe House is one of them.”

Mr Hastings revealed there are currently five council-owned sites in Barrow where the new home could be built.

Three of these sites are three of the care homes the council proposes to close; Bevan House, Rock Lea and George Basterfield House.

Locations also being considered are the Alfred Barrow school and car park and Parkview School and surrounding land.

Mr Hastings said: “We haven’t decided on a site. There are some sites owned by the county council and we have had other sites suggested to us during the consultation period, that aren’t owned by the council. These are Channelside, Arthur Street and Sutherland Street, and land near Asda.”

Consultation on the proposed new home will be completed by the end of June. A report will then be published by independent organisation Shaping Our Lives.

Upcoming drop-in public consultation sessions are being held on May 10 at Spring Mount Church, Amphitrite Street, Walney, from 10am until noon; at Walney Children’s Centre, Mill Lane between 3pm and 5pm on May 10; St Perran’s Scout Hut, Yarlside Road between 4pm and 6pm on May 13; Dundalk Street Community Centre on Barrow Island between 10am and noon on May 21 and between 2pm and 4pm on the same day at The Annexe in Bath Street.

On May 25, Spring Mount Church, on Walney, will host another drop-in session between 10am and noon, and futuresessions will be held at Furness Children’s Centre, Risingside from 10am until noon on June 8; Askam Community Centre in Duke Street, Askam from 10am until noon on June 14 and Hawcoat Community Centre in Skelwith Drive, Barrow, between 3.15pm and 5.15pm on June 17.

To contact the adult social care team directly, ring 01228 221553.